Consumer Food Trends
This webinar explores Consumer Food Trends and the forces reshaping today’s food economy. Rapid changes in technology, shifting household budgets, persistent inflationary pressures, and evolving tastes and preferences are transforming the choices consumers make every day. Our expert panel examines how consumers have responded to four years of market dynamics, share insights into preferences for cultured meat, and discuss the policy implications emerging from these shifts in demand. This timely conversation provides valuable perspectives for researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, and anyone interested in the future of food.
Joseph Balagtas – What Do We Know About American Food Consumers? Lessons from Four Years of the Consumer Food Insights Survey
Joseph Balagtas of Purdue University presented findings from the Consumer Food Insights Survey, a monthly survey of approximately 1,200 American adults conducted since January 2022 by the Center for Food Demand. The survey collects information on consumer perceptions, experiences, and behaviors in food markets and is designed to reflect U.S. demographics using census-based sampling and weighting. Drawing on four years of data, Balagtas highlighted several consistent patterns in how Americans think about food choices.
Survey results show that American food values are relatively stable over time. Consumers consistently rank taste as the most important factor in food choices, followed by affordability and availability. Nutrition tends to rank lower, while environmental impacts and labor conditions are considered important but carry less weight in purchasing decisions. The survey also shows that average diet quality among Americans remains relatively low, particularly among food-insecure households. Despite this, a large majority of Americans report being satisfied with their diets, suggesting that many consumers do not perceive a strong need to change their current eating habits.
Sean B. Cash – Cellular Agriculture on the Shelves: Consumers Get a First Taste of Cell-Cultivated Meat
Sean B. Cash of Tufts University discussed consumer responses to the emerging market for cell-cultivated meat, a form of cellular agriculture that produces food from animal cells rather than whole animals. Cellular agriculture uses techniques such as cell culture and tissue engineering to grow products such as meat, dairy, and eggs in bioreactors similar to fermentation tanks used in brewing. Although the concept has existed for decades, commercial development has accelerated in recent years. The first cultivated meat burger was demonstrated in 2013, and regulatory approvals have gradually followed, including approvals for cultivated chicken products in the United States in 2023.
Cash explained that most research on consumer attitudes toward cultivated meat relies on stated preferences because few consumers have had the opportunity to purchase or taste these products. Studies generally find that only a minority of consumers express interest in buying cultivated meat, and many say they would consider purchasing it only if it were priced lower than conventional meat. Early tasting events suggest that participants often find the products appealing, but it remains uncertain whether consumers would purchase them regularly. As these products move toward broader availability, real-world factors such as taste, price, and accessibility will play a key role in determining long-term consumer demand.
Vincenzina Caputo – Food Environment and Policy Evolution: Navigating a Changing Landscape
Vincenzina Caputo of Michigan State University examined how food environments and policy interventions influence consumer food choices. She noted that although many Americans report being satisfied with their diets, public health data continue to highlight challenges related to diet-related health outcomes. Policymakers have introduced several tools to address these issues, including dietary guidelines, nutrition labeling programs, and fiscal policies such as soda taxes.
Caputo emphasized that understanding food choices requires examining both consumer behavior and the broader environment in which decisions are made. Research shows that policies designed to influence food consumption can affect purchasing behavior, though their effects may vary and sometimes lead to unintended substitutions. Her work highlights the importance of studying how consumer preferences, market offerings, and policy initiatives interact when designing strategies to promote healthier and more sustainable food choices.
This program is supported in part by the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.