Just call 2019 the year of the chicken. Fried chicken and plant-based meats topped several of the annual food trends lists.
Battle of the fried chicken sandwiches
“2019 was the Year of the Chicken Wars,” a recent headline from Nasdaq declared.
Rival quick service restaurants Popeyes and Chick-fil-a battled for chicken supremacy this year, garnering major buzz among consumers. Both restaurants traded jabs on Twitter, increasing sales and foot traffic.
The viral food fight took the top spot in the 17th annual Hunter Annual Food News Study. The consumer marketing communications firm partnered with Libran Research & Consulting to survey 1,003 Americans on the most recalled news stories of the past 12 months.
Plant-based proteins
Meat alternatives went mainstream this year. Women’s magazine Redbook ranked plant-based meats as the number one food trend of 2019. The Impossible Burger was one of the most searched terms on ratings website Yelp this year.
“Vegan cuisine has entered the mainstream without the austerity of yesterday; even the name has changed from ‘vegan cuisine’ to ‘plant-based cuisine’ to reflect this [shift],” Andrew Freeman, a hospitality consultant with af&co, said.
Major food companies are working on meat alternative products. Food and beverage company Nestlé announced plans earlier this month to integrate plant-based proteins into two of its popular prepared items, the DiGiorno Rising Crust Meatless Supreme and Stouffer’s Meatless Lasagna. Hormel launched a product line containing non-GMO soy protein in September,
Burger King launched the Impossible Whopper to great fanfare in August. Other quick service restaurants followed suit and plant-based food products can be found at KFC, White Castle, McDonalds and Qdoba.
Looking forward
Industry insiders are feeling optimistic about chicken’s future.
In a recent survey sponsored by WATT Global Media/Rennier Poultry Conference, more than 80% of respondents said they expect chicken exports to increase in 2020. In addition, the fried chicken market is expected to have a high growth rate between now and 2025.
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