The battle of dairy versus plant-based products continues to intensify with recent campaigns featuring celebrities on both sides of the coin. The “Got Milk?,” “Milk Does a Body Good” and newer campaigns have faced competition from “Ditch Milk” and other anti-milk advertising efforts.
IFT First wrapped up its annual trade show at Chicago’s McCormick Place from July 16-19. More than 16,000 food professionals attended the event, and more than 800 companies exhibited.
According to 2017 ice cream research from global market research firm Mintel, only 11% of U.S. consumers claim to be cutting back on ice cream or frozen treats for health-related reasons. What’s more, 10% of consumers went on record as actively avoiding healthy frozen dairy treats because, well, frozen dairy is supposed to be a treat, not a health food.
Consumers want greater visibility into the supply chains of the foods and beverages they consume. But tracing the complicated route cacao takes to become chocolate or cocoa is complex even for the pros.
According to the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), roughly 72% of the world’s cocoa production occurs in West Africa, with Latin America accounting for another 18% and Asia and Oceana shoring up the remaining 10%. So for North American chocoholics, there really is no such thing as locally sourced chocolate.