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Celebrity chef Ming Tsai hosts awards. |
Exhibitors at New York's Fancy Food Show insist that the outlook for Asian-inspired flavours has never been better. Pinched by the economy, American consumers are eating out less and cooking more, yet they still want genuine ethnic flavours at home.
Maite Goff, Marketing Director of the US-based natural and specialty food brand manager Panos Brands, said: "the Asian category has been growing over the last few years, and I think it's going to keep growing. People are looking for bolder tastes, and anything that's ethnic has a lot of appeal."
One of its brands, KA-ME, she added, is covering different bases by expanding into cuisines from China, Thailand, Indonesia and Japan. Panos Brands also handles brands such as Tap'n Apple and Tofu Rella.
Hong Kong-based Sunfolk Group saw the demand for foods that appeal to health growing, and specifically where it comes to gluten-free cuisines.
The incidence of celiac disease – intolerance to gluten – is on the rise. According to the findings of a recent Mayo Clinic study, the disease is more than four times as common as it was 50 years ago. The development of palatable, gluten-free products (a hot topic throughout the Fancy Food Show) is on a sharp upswing.
Anita Tsoi of Sunfolk, a firm selling canned meat, vegetables and other items, came to New York to generate wider US distribution for a line of eight gluten-free pastas. "We see reports of double-digit increase in the gluten-free product category," she said.
Celebrity chef Ming Tsai, who hosted the presentation of the show's 2009 sofi Gold Awards for outstanding foods and beverages of the year, commented on the gluten-free phenomenon. Advising product developers to stay ahead of the curve, he said: "I walked the floor and there are tonnes of gluten-free products now."
The depressed economy hasn't dampen consumers' desires for good food, as borne out by the throngs of attendees at this largest marketplace for specialty cuisines in North America presented by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT). Attendance was higher than ever for the past decade, and up 4% over last year.
They included more than 24,000 industry participants and buyers from gift, gourmet and specialty shops; natural and organic retailers; supermarkets, while leading chain stores from around the world swelled the aisles at the Jacob K Javits Convention Center from 28 to 30 June.
Some 2,300 exhibitors from more than 70 countries displayed 140,000 specialty foods and beverages.
