There seems to be one word that has flooded the foodservice industry over the last few months: artificial. Dozens of restaurants have pledged to remove artificial ingredients from their menus over the coming months and years in order to appease the demands of their customers. Menu labeling is looming on the horizon (friendly reminder…less than 5 months left!)*, the FDA recently acted to eliminate artificial trans fats from the industry and allergen and sensitivity charts are becoming more and more common in the foodservice industry. Guests are becoming accustomed to transparency with their food, so it makes sense that the next step for consumers is wanting to know the exact ingredients composing their favorite meals and ditching the ones that are getting the most negative attention.
One of the most popular stories over the past few months has been Chipotle’s declaration that they will no longer be cooking with ingredients that contain genetically modified organisms (GMO). While there has been some pushback due to their continued use of animals raised on GMO feed and keeping traditional soft drinks in their stores (high fructose corn syrup, ubiquitous among common soft drinks, is almost exclusively derived from genetically modified corn), the overall reaction from Chipotle’s consumer base has been positive. Concerns over the environmental impact of GMOs as well as the desire for more long-term studies of the health impact of GMOs were the two main reasons Chipotle cited for making their decision. While the retail food industry has been dealing with the demand for additional GMO transparency over the past few years, Chipotle was among the first notable restaurants to make this kind of claim.
Another large restaurant brand that made headlines with its “No-No List” is Panera Bread®. The fast casual giant has pledged to remove all artificial preservatives, sweeteners, colors and flavors from the food in their bakery-cafes by the end of 2016. Other brands that have recently opted to remove artificial ingredients from their menus includes Yum! Brands’ Pizza Hut® and Taco Bell®, Papa John’s®, Subway® and Noodles & Co®. While each brand has a slightly different take on what “artificial” really means, it’s clear that they’re answering the consumers’ call when it comes to what they want in their food.
If your brand is thinking of making a similar change, the best place to start is determining which ingredients you’ll be eliminating. Starting off slow with artificial colors and flavors can be a good place to get a feel for how customers react. Then, other ingredients such as preservatives and additives can be targeted as they require a larger scale reformulation. All signs point to complete transparency in food becoming the norm when dining out, so making product changes early on can offer a huge competitive advantage to foodservice establishments looking to meet consumer demands.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding menu transparency, or if you need help eliminating artificial ingredients from you menu, don’t hesitate to give MenuTrinfo a call at 888.767.6368! We’d love to help you! Transparency is key, after all!
*This blog was published prior to the change in deadline for menu labeling. The deadline is now December 1, 2016.
