Consumers’ definitions of healthy fare are constantly changing, and companies need to know which health issues are top of mind in order to make informed business decisions—from sourcing to menu planning—before it’s required by law.
The impact of consumer health perceptions on the foodservice industry is evident as of late. Within the past year, at least eight leading limited-service chains have announced some sort of pledge to remove ingredients from the menu that consumers view as unhealthy—most notably meat from animals that were given antibiotics.
These developments are in line with one of Technomic’s key trends for 2015, as noted in the “Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report”—‘Healthy’ means antibiotic-free.” This is a top-of-mind concern for consumers, most likely as a result of the growing public awareness surrounding the harmful misuses of antibiotics in both people and animals.