Articles by David Feder , RDN

With the higher energy expenditure from fall and winter events, more consumers will crave a snack with dense nutrition and high protein. Cheese fits the bill perfectly.

I’ve witnessed some impressive paradigm shifts in how consumers — and product developers — understand and use food and ingredients. The needless demonization of salt, fat, meat, and sugar has moved away from the focus of concern, with most Americans recognizing the idea of moderation and moving away from the guilt that preoccupied everyfood decision.

Processors who take seriously the designing of better-for-you products to conform to these diet trends are finding cheese to be a viable, versatile, flavorful, and economic feature player.

By the time you read this, I and my friend and partner in nutrition communications crime, Jim Painter, PhD, will have given our presentation on communicating the science of nutrition at the 2019 Institute of Food Technologists annual meeting and expo.

Look even more closely at product trends and you'll find that cheese is everywhere and is a driving factor in the value-added product push.

I think every month should be National Nutrition Month. But to promote better eating habits that incorporate “better” foods and beverages, it is critical to have any publicly promoted nutrition message be based solidly on science.

Although synthetic food colors (FD&C colors) have historically been favored by the industry due to predictable performance and lower cost, in recent years consumers have increasingly demanded the use of natural colorants.

Today, sauces and condiments are making bolder statements, taking more daring and expressive directions and asserting themselves as stars in their own right. Even basic tomato sauces are no longer generic but tout the tomatoes used, such as heirloom tomatoes.

A big part of this best-use-of-resources movement is prominently expressed in the plant-based revolution. Plant-based meat and dairy analogs have been hitting shelves as fast as ingredient technology can make them happen, with expert mimicry of their animal-derived counterparts the “brass ring.”

As 2019 opens its doors, the race to provide protein as both a nutritional enhancement and a primary formulation component will become more heated.