Food trends in 2012
As the year draws to a close we look back at 2012 as see how food trends have changed over the last year, where convenience, taste, health factors and price have had an influence of demand of food products.
Rachel Zammit Cutajar
According to statistics released by the National Office of Statistics (NSO) the proportion of food in a consumer's basket has fallen from 14.3% to 13.5% over the past four years - a trend which is seen in developed countries as consumers have more money to spend on other items aside from food.
Despite health campaigns to increase awareness of healthy eating, the statistics show the proportion of food items containing sugar in Maltese shopping baskets as having risen from 7.2% to 8.5% - including items such as confectionery, chocolate and honey, while a decrease was registered in fruit and vegetable products from 22.4% to 19.2%.
The news is not all bad, however, with an increase in fish products from 5.2% to 6.9%.
Alex Mattei, from Fifth Flavour catering company, said food trends change from year to year. Their company is renowned for including a menu that is varied and keeps up with fashions in the culinary world.
With the ever-increasing food blogs and recipes available online, people are becoming more and more interested in cuisines from different parts of the world.
The imported food item market has increased by 2.3% over the last year, according to NSO statistics, a portion of which accounts for food items that were not available in Malta in previous years.
"There has been increasing interest in global cuisines over the last year, and not only the usual Chinese and Indian. People are becoming more interested in Far Eastern cultures and cuisines with emphasis on Vietnam and Korea among others.
Though NSO statistics have reported a smaller proportion of consumer food baskets being occupied by fruit and vegetables, Mattei said that healthy foods are becoming more and more popular with more people ordering healthy food even for dinner parties and events.
People with food allergies are becoming more aware of conditions they may have had for years before. However this year has seen an increase in demand for gluten-free products as well as lactose-free products.
On the other side of the coin he said that gourmet "fast food" is also on the rise. "There's nothing wrong with burgers, especially if they are made with Aberdeen Angus beef. Gourmet fast food is on the increase and we have even had requests for fast food tables at weddings."
Old classics are also making a comeback. Though dishes some classic dishes fell out of fashion over the years, it was often the result of the tired old recipe being made with substandard ingredients. Today the old classics are being revisited using only the best quality ingredients making diners remember why those dishes ever received such celebrity status.
Mattei said that catering today is becoming more challenging. In the past it was all about convenience - burgers and fries were good enough as long as it was quick and easy. Later on taste became more important with diners expecting convenient food that also tasted great.
Today all of that is still important, however diners are also concerned about health, so rich, creamy sauces and stogy pastas are losing favour.
On top of it all there is also the price factor that needs to be taken into consideration. Quality ingredients need to be sourced from the right places to ensure tasty dishes that are affordable.
