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\\u201cIt sounds like a complicated technology advancement for grocery retail, but man is it going to make the lives of the consumer a lot easier.\\u201d

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Pamela Riemenschneider \\xa0(14:06-14:16)

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\\xa0Pamela Riemenschneider is a catalyst for the produce industry. As one of our most top, celebrated trade journalists, she\\u2019s constantly pushing industry leaders to think bigger, more innovative and identify opportunities to optimize and evolve how we get fresh produce into the hands of consumers like you. With Pamela\\u2019s great foresight and pulse on what\\u2019s to come, we\\u2019re sharing with you the top five trends you can expect to see this year in grocery retail, restaurants and produce.

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Across the board, Pamela predicts 2022 to be a year of evolution. From the way restaurants handle business, partnerships between kitchens and retailers, recycling initiatives and ready-to-go, convenient food options, we\\u2019re going to continue to see an evolution in how we enjoy and shop for food altogether.

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First, let\\u2019s talk about restaurants. Thanks to the pandemic, restaurants have had to rethink how they provide an incredible experience and impeccable service. Some of the top restaurants in the country have found themselves competing with fast food or drive-through options. Why? As Pamela reminds us, we don\\u2019t want to think about what to cook or what to order anymore. Also, the pandemic drove us to find convenient options that were ready-to-go and meals that are quick and easy, including ones you can eat on-the-spot in your car.

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Restaurants were hurting during the pandemic have two options. One is to offer smaller menus or menus that focus on what they do best and shift to \\u201creservation only\\u201d for diners. The other is to get their foot in the door with ghost kitchens and collaborative spaces that are making it easy to enjoy restaurant-quality meals at home.\\xa0

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Meal delivery and meal prep companies are going to continue to optimize. They\\u2019ve been slightly confusing and not very cost effective, which is why we\\u2019ve seen a dip in consumer interest from these companies, and a push towards grocery retailers providing their own ready-to-go or take-home meal kits.

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\\u201cHere\\u2019s my huge prediction that I feel I\\u2019m going to be super wrong or super right on it and it\\u2019s reservations. I think they aren\\u2019t going to be just a fine dining thing [anymore] and are going to be [used] by \\u2018every day Joe\\u2019 type of restaurants because they have constrained labor, hours and resources. If you want to have a great experience at a restaurant, you better plan to make a reservation.\\u201d Pamela Riemenschneider (21:09-21:31)\\xa0

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The pandemic took everyone\\u2019s attention away from our concerns about plastic. What was more important was figuring out and providing safe, effective ways to give consumers food while eliminating the risk of COVID-19 as much as possible. Now that we\\u2019ve accepted the \\u201cnew normal\\u201d, our focus on finding alternatives to plastic that are cost effective will return.\\xa0

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Even though packaging like raspberry clamshells have a recycle symbol on them, they\\u2019re typically rejected by recyclers because they also have paper stickers on them that aren\\u2019t recyclable. Some companies are working on getting new labels or switching to corrugated options (that are pricey, but work well). Pamela says we need to push municipal recyclers into making recycling easier or finding a way to accept things that we originally thought couldn\\u2019t be recycled.\\xa0

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Another hot trend we\\u2019ll continue to see this year is produce grown from indoor farms. Indoor farming creates a fresher product, oftentimes is grown closer to the grocery retailer it\\u2019s sold at and uses less water. A ton of investment and financial backing is being poured into this industry innovation and, on top of it, indoor farming has created some incredible, custom produce we haven\\u2019t seen before!

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\\u201cIf you don\\u2019t have lettuce grown from an indoor farm in your store right now, it\\u2019s only a matter of time before they take over a lot of the shelf.\\u201d Pamela Riemenschneider (30:35-30:48)

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It wouldn\\u2019t be a top five trend list without calling on a produce item like mushrooms, which Pamela says are having a \\u201cglow up\\u201d right now! Mushrooms are being used in a lot of different ways you might have not heard of, like as a more cost effective alternative to scallops. There\\u2019s even mushroom oatmeal at stores like Walmart, and shredded sriracha or barbeque flavored mushrooms you can eat on sandwiches! Mushroom jerky, mushroom chips\\u2026 the list goes on and on with how creative we\\u2019re getting with this versatile vegetable.\\xa0

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Keep your eyes peeled for how some of these trends are changing the way you feed your family and enjoy healthy, delicious produce! Be sure to check out Pamela\\u2019s articles on current trends, future forecasts and more at\\xa0 www.producebluebook.com.\\xa0

How to get involved

• Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week!\\xa0
• Reach out to us - we\\u2019d love to hear more about where you are in life and business! Find out more here.\\xa0

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