Dana McCauley, CXO at Canadian Food Innovation Network, sees the direction of Italian food in Canada going like this, “As Generation Z matures and starts families, we’ll see a continued interest in authentic, regional Italian food options but also a shift to making them with more sustainably sourced ingredients. Expect this consumer to be keen to explore Italian recipes that emphasize vegetarian ingredients such as beans, legumes, and plant-based meat alternatives.’’
McCauley noted that over her lifetime, Canadians’ perception and palette of Italian food has gone from being spaghetti and meatballs topped with pre-grated Parmesan cheese to children being able to distinguish the difference between Neapolitan, Roman, and Sicilian style pizza. Amid the pandemic, 93% of Canadians prepared a dish from raw ingredients. McCauley said meal kits and Zoom dinner parties helped Canadians try new recipes.
Dan Clapson, Creative Director Eat North and Globe & Mail Columnist, has noticed a continual boom of contemporary Italian restaurants across the country. Clapson told Italianfood.net, “a new wave of prominent Italian eateries in the restaurant scene will help continue to educate diners about the breadth and depth of authentic Italian cuisine.” He’s also noticed a proliferation of Italian grocers in Western Canada.
During the virtual conference, Isabelle Marquis (in the picture above, together with Dana McCauley), Food Marketing and Communication Specialist described two trends that aren’t going away anytime soon. Pleasure and indulgence will always be here. Marquis also added, “Trends are intertwined more than ever before. Take into consideration that multiple trends are relevant with your brand”.
HEALTH, WELLNESS AND THE FUTURE OF FOOD INNOVATION
During a panel discussion on the future of food innovation, health and wellness were the main topics. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University, said, “people are excepting the food industry to help them with making them feel better”. Charlebois also noted, “I’m not sure the name plant-based will survive in five years”.
The entire virtual presentation is now accessible online.
#SIALCanadaConnect was a live virtual event presented by Emilia Romagna who introduced “Food is an art form: l’Emilia-Romagna si gusta in Canada” Project. Next year, SIAL Canada will host an in-person trade show at the Palais des Congrès in Montreal, Canada on April 20-22, 2022.