Food Trends and the Changing Consumer

Hardcover  385 pages, 59 tables  ISBN 0962440728      £87.50

This book sets out to answer a number of questions, such as the following, concerning diet in the United States:

• What are the real trends and traditions in the American diet?
• How are U.S. demographics changing and how will they impact food consumption?
• How do consumers view food product attributes, packaging, advertising, and brands?
• What can economics tell us about the changing consumer?

Drawing from demographic data, marketing and economic theory, and consumer behavior and lifestyle research, the authors of this book examine the underlying forces that influence these aspects of food production and the resulting implications for the entire food industry, from producer to retailer. Professionals, educators, and researchers throughout the food industry will find this a ready resource of information on food consumption patterns, consumer behavior, and the food industry. The contents are as follows:

Chapter 1: Introduction: Major Trends in a Consumer-Driven Food System

Demographic Factors, Lifestyles, and Market Segmentation - Working Women and Convenience - Changing Eating Patterns - Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health - Food Retailing Changes - Attributes, Packaging, Advertising, and Brands - Agricultural Production - A Glance at the Other Chapters

Chapter 2: Trends and Traditions in the American Diet

Long-Run Trends - Diet and Health - Trends that Affect Eating Behavior - Global Food Trends - General Implications - Appendix

Chapter 3: Demographic Trends Foretell Food Trends

Projected Changes in Food Expenditures - Population Growth - Ethnic Diversity - Regional Differences - Household Composition - An Aging Population - Education - Income Trends - Labor Force Participation - General Implications

Chapter 4: Disparate Lifestyles

General Classification Systems - Specific Classification Systems - General Implications

Chapter 5: Food Economics: Insightful and Not So Arcane

Engl's Insights: Income and Food Consumption - The Role of Prices - General Implications

Chapter 6: The Food Consumer: New Economic Perspectives

Becker's Theory: The Importance of Convenience - Lancaster's Model: Foods as Bundles of Characteristics - Being Informed: Valuable but Costly - General Implications

Chapter 7: Data: Where We Get the Facts

Time-Series Food Consumption and Expenditure Data - Cross-Sectional Data and Food Consumption and Expenditures - Sources of Cross-Sectional Data - General Implications

Chapter 8: Older Americans and Their Food Habits

A Profile of the Elderly - Old Food Habits Meet New Food Needs - Help the Needy - General Implications

Chapter 9: The Forgotten Poor and Their Food Problems

Hunger and Poverty - Nutrition and Health Problems of the Poor - Food Assistance Programs - General Implications

Chapter 10: Food Safety: A Growing Concern

Various Perspectives on Food Safety - Food Safety Regulation and the Policy Process - Deciding What is Safe - Perceptions of Risk - The Issue of Confidence and Trust - Consumer Information as a Remedy - Current Food Safety Issues - General Implications

Chapter 11: The Food Industry: An Overview and Implications of Consumer Trends

A Brief Overview of the Food System - Farming - Food Processing and Manufacturing - Food Wholesaling - Food Retailing - A Historical Perspective

Abbreviations

Notes

References

Index