Sourcing topped conversations. Channels and advocacy increased; health and safety decreased.

Taking Stock of Sourcing Priorities

Over the past month, the leading voices in food production took time to reflect on the past year and establish priorities for the new one. For many, sourcing policies were top of mind as indicators of a food producer’s values. Whether the priority is cost, quality or sustainability, it pays to communicate those values to consumers.

  • The Jan. 1 implementation of labeling for bioengineered foods revived discussions about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food. Vishaal Bhuyan of Aanika Biosciences held up alternative protein products as a model for the use of GMOs for sustainable production.
  • Additionally, recaps of 2021 drove a substantial amount of conversations, such as Good Food Institute sharing a series of articles that address the overlap between sourcing and sustainability messaging.

In other trending conversations, attention to foodservice menus picked up when KFC partnered with Beyond Meat and Chipotle offered its own plant-based chorizo nationally. Additionally, activist groups recommended plant-based protein foods as part of Veganuary and formally supported cultured proteins.

This content was developed in partnership with Alt-Meat, a multimedia brand covering a myriad of topics in the meat alternatives market from a business point of view. For more information, visit Alt-Meat.net.