No longer just the concern of radical health nuts or food snobs, Jane and Joe Sixpack cannot be more clear in their growing distaste for chemicals in their food according to FoodProcessing.com.

Here are some Top Trends for 2011

• Clean labels with fewer ingredients
• Gourmet coffees, high-end confectionary products and specialty cheeses
• Gluten-free products
• Local food; consumers are willing to pay more for food when they know where it was produced
• Food safety:  globally and at home
• Eco-efficient production
• Sustainable packaging

Looks like the time is right for small scale, artisanal production.  If you are considering starting up an artisanal food or beverage business, email us!  We’ll be rolling out the new Artisanal Food & Beverage Initiative in 2011.

Top Trends courtesy of the Guelph Food Technology Centre.

Contributed by Galen Newman – Invest in Cheese team