Chicago-based chef Charlie Trotter, whose restaurant has been awarded the prestigious AAA Five diamond Award for 16 straight years, produces a line of retail, gourmet, smoked salmon products, each with a quality good enough to be placed on any high-end restaurant’s menu. There are two flavors; one is citrus-cured smoked salmon (made of salmon, kosher salt, natural cane juice, orange peel, lemon peel, vodka, assorted herbs, spices and hardwood smoke). The other flavor is Darjeeling tea and ginger salmon (made of salmon, kosher salt, brown sugar and five toasted spices). A fusion of Darjeeling tea and ginger is steeped with some fresh citrus zest and added to the cure. The salmon is then smoked, using a unique blend of fruit wood and Darjeeling tea leaf.

Both salmon flavors are packaged and sold in 4oz, 1lb and 2.5oz sizes. They are sold in the refrigerated section of retail gourmet specialty stores, as well as Chicago-based Trotter’s To Go.

[This is an abbreviated version of an article first appearing in the July 25, 2011, issue of Prepared Foods’ E-dition. For the full article and information about subscribing to E-dition, visit www.PreparedFoods.com.]

Food Prices on Consumers

According to Deloitte’s new “2011 Consumer Food and Product Insight Survey,” nearly nine in 10 respondents (87.7%) believe prices in food stores are escalating, and almost three quarters (74%) say the size of some packaged goods is smaller. Consequently, savvy consumers are purchasing more private label and store brand products. More than three quarters of respondents (75.3%) purchased lower priced products, and nearly two in five respondents (39.6%) added more private label products to their grocery bags.

High gas prices are also having an impact on shopping behaviors. Some 73% are making fewer trips to the grocery store to save money, and more than two fifths (40.8%) are purchasing fewer items overall.

“Higher prices, smaller package sizes and pain at the pump are driving consumers to buy lower priced grocery items,” said Pat Conroy, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP and the U.S. consumer products practice leader. “That’s why now, more than ever, it is important for consumer products companies to strengthen their customer relationships and distinguish value ahead of the competition.”

Consumers are paying more attention to “front-of-package” nutrition information to assist them in making healthier decisions, according to the survey.  More than three in four respondents (76.2%) say they more often want healthier food options when they shop, and nearly two thirds (64.8%) agree or somewhat agree that food retailers are starting to sell more locally produced fruits and vegetables.

Additionally, nearly half of respondents (49.3%) agree that packaging displaying a row of standardized icons called “Nutrition Keys” on the front of the package, with standard ingredients listed on the back, would be very helpful for purchasing decisions. The survey also found more than half (51.1%) of food shoppers read the ingredients on unfamiliar food items.

“The front-of-package findings, coupled with survey results showing that consumers are trending toward healthier food purchases, present a tremendous opportunity for consumer products companies that are willing to enhance their nutritional transparency,” said Conroy.

The proliferation of smartphones and savvier shoppers have spurred consumers to use mobile devices to assist with several aspects of their shopping routines, based on the survey. More than one third (34%) of smartphone users research food prices or product information while in a store.

Overall, more than one half (53%) of shoppers surveyed are increasingly using technology to obtain information about food products, and more than one quarter (28%) of respondents interacted with a food retailer via their mobile application or website. Furthermore, more than one fifth (23.5%) of survey respondents expect their smartphone-related grocery shopping activity to increase next year.