Unless you’ve never ventured past the processed food corner at your neighborhood grocers, you’ve probably noticed that providing information on where food comes from is moving from a niche, almost obsessive interest, to something that is commonly demanded from consumers. From Manhattan’s institutionalised farmers market in Union Square, to local eateries like Posto Pubblico in Hong Kong, everyone is looking for locally sourced food.

Barbara Katz, President of HealthFocus International, says the majority of supermarket shoppers believe it is more important to eat foods naturally rich in nutrients than food that is fortified or enriched. Seasonal local produce can account for this, having replaced processed foods in supermarkets and household pantries all over the world.

Furthermore, food vetting has also gained international currency, as shoppers begin to question the source of their foods. In Hong Kong, a number of food scares on the Chinese mainland spurred a demand for local and organic food to be tracked. Although traceability has come at a cost, it has allayed fears about the quality of produce, while providing safer consumption and added responsibility on the part of supermarkets. Food vetting reflects society’s growing desire to become more involved in much of its food consumption. People want to know where their food comes from, how it’s grown and where it’s harvested, in order to feel reassured that it is truly safe and healthy to consume.

Home comforts

The sharp economic downturn of 2009 has prompted a growing tendency to stay in to eat. According to Vincent Cheng, Managing Director of Meyer Industries Limited, strong cookware sales in 2009 and future growth projected in 2010 reflect a strong trend towards cooking and eating at home since the slump in the worldwide economy. This has been reinforced by supermarket sales internationally. In the United Kingdom, Wm Morrison revenues in 2009 rose 6 percent to £15.4 billion, spurring an aggressive expansion programme that saw it add 43 supermarkets last year. Jardine Matheson’s Dairy Farms International Holdings Limited, which runs Hong Kong’s local supermarket Wellcome chains, also posted a 14 percent increase in earnings last year. As consumers shun smart restaurants for in-house meals, the willingness to spend more on basics may result in people spending less money in the long run, due to a reduction in wastage, higher quality food products and more value overall.

Sustainability is king 

A third worldwide food phenomenon is the rise of the sustainable food movement. In the US, the initiative has been spearheaded by First Lady Michelle Obama’s garden on the White House lawn, underlining a national campaign to educate Americans about how to eat healthily and become sustainable. In Australia, the “paddock to plate” movement has engendered an emphasis on quality and sustainability, as high-end restaurants offer fruit and vegetables from their own gardens and cooking schools adopt a more farm-based, hands-on approach.

“Going green has become mainstream,” says Kay Logsdon, editor of The Food Channel, a Web site devoted to food. “Before 2009, many people didn’t even know what the word ‘sustainable’ meant; now it has become a priority.” People expect seasonal, locally sourced or organic produce, grass-fed meats and free-range chickens that are free of hormones and pesticides.

With this move will come a more authentic attempt by people and companies to assimilate sustainability into their work ethos. Biodegradable packaging like bamboo will soon replace Styrofoam at supermarkets, while eco-labelling, carbon footprints, water footprints, food miles, fair trade, and “nude food” – food that is more transparent - will slowly become part of packaging labels. By having a positive environmental impact, sustainability will likely become the way we eat in 2010 and beyond.

To learn more about food trends around the world click here