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Food Inflation

The weekly spend at supermarkets rose to $97.8 per family but trips are fewer and wealthy shoppers are trading down. Coupon use is up and cherry pickers are beginning to appear as shoppers pay 25 percent more for eggs and 17 percent more for milk.

Defending Organic

Media frequently get it wrong. This forum let's you set them straight.

Everyday Low Prices

When deciding where to shop, 37 percent of consumers cite "low prices" as the overriding factor - up from 31 percent in 2007 and well ahead of the second most often cited factor (convenient location at 13 percent).

Natural/Organic Foods

Supermarkets are responding to consumer health needs. For example, 82 percent of stores now feature natural or organic foods, up from 80 percent last year and 72 percent in 2006. In fact, nearly 60 percent offer store-brand organic foods.

Traceability

Wholesale grocers and independent retailers will play a critical role in implementing total supply chain traceability .

Transportation Expense

Higher food prices due to increased transportation expense level the playing field for sustainable food that travels only a short distance to market. Oil prices have soared five-fold since 2003.

Food Avoidance

Tainted tomatoes have now sickened 558 people in 32 states since April 10. More than half of Americans (57 percent) have actually stopped eating a particular food, temporarily or permanently, as a result of a recent recall, according to a new survey by Deloitte.

Private Label

Consumers are buying fewer luxury foods (67 percent) and more store-brand items (60 percent) and eating more leftovers (58 percent).

Health Clinics

Health clinics are now featured in 9 percent of stores, and 5 percent have a dietitian on hand to provide consumers nutritional guidance. Retail clinics have grown in number to 963 as of May 1 from just 125 three years ago.

Farm Bill 2008

Approval of the farm bill is just the first step. Now we must turn promises into organic programs.

School Lunch

The cost of staples that make up the backbone of school meal programs has soared in the past year, far outstripping federal subsidies. On average, the cheapest approved lunches now costs $2.66 to prepare.

Locavore

Food miles are a growing concern for consumers. This forum explores creative ways to reduce the distance products travel to market.

Food Safety

FMI's U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2008 survey found that 88 percent of shoppers are either very or somewhat comfortable with the safety of food grown or produced in the United States, compared with only 45 percent for foreign foods.

Dining In

Americans are cooking at home more and eat less often at restaurants (71 percent). In fact, families eat their main meal at restaurants only 1.2 times per week, down from 1.3 in 2007 and 1.5 in 2006.

Eating Healthier

Consumers equate eating at home with eating healthier. As many as 91 percent say they eat healthier when dining at home, according to the Food Marketing Institute. This number includes 39 percent who believe home-cooked food is "much healthier."

Sustainability

Consumers are looking for retailers who have a recycling and sustainability program: 20 percent deemed this "very important" when selecting a primary store, and 41 percent "somewhat important." More than half of supermarkets offer reusable bags.

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