NEWS bites Factory automation hits QSR The sprouting plant-based ecosystem The new ag: From sea to cell The new head buzz Sweetness preference is shifting Macro Trends Influencing the Food Industry Clean label commoditization drives brand importance Cannabis compound call outs Big food and money offer motivation to start food businesses Single-serve plastic packaging at risk The devaluing and de-socializing of dining out Source: Barb Stuckey, president and chief innovation officer, Mattson, in a presentation at the RCA 2019 Conference $100 million Starbucks' initial investment in a new venture capital fund, Valor Siren Ventures I LP, was established to identify and support food and retail start-ups. Source: Starbucks Corp. 73% would change consumption habits Nearly three-quarters of global consumers said they would change or probably change their consumption habits to reduce their impact on the environment. Source: Nielsen "Consumers are thinking more deeply about what happened before their moment of purchase and what will happen to whatever packaging or other materials used in the product after they're done using it." Julia Wilson, director, global responsibility and sustainability, Nielsen 48 | Culinology | JUNE 2019 1 in 3 consumers on a specific diet One in three US consumers say they follow a specific diet or eating pattern. Source: 2018 Annual Food and Health Survey from the International Food Information Council Foundation