check out food service trends

Plant-based, use of vegetable ingredients and contracting 65+ were some of the themes discussed in the 2nd edition of FoodCo. Experience, held last Wednesday (7) in the kitchen of Bom Gourmet. With the theme “NRA Show: trends, technology and the future of food service”, the event promoted by FoodCo., a foodtech that brings together the largest community of restaurateurs in Brazil, gathered around 80 businessmen from the sector.

The six panels throughout the event were conducted by specialists who visited the NRA Show 2023, one of the largest food service fairs in the world. Promoted by the National Restaurant Association, the fair gathered more than 2000 exhibitors and 60 thousand participants, in Chicago, in the United States, between May 20th and 23rd. With more than 500 businessmen, chefs and food service managers, Brazil formed the largest foreign delegation, which closely followed all the innovations in the international market.

According to Henrique Cassins, head of FoodCo., all panelists highlighted technology as one of the main future trends for this market and highlighted that the new technologies and practices that are already being used outside the country must and can be adapted to reality. of the Brazilian entrepreneur.

“If it is not possible to have more modern and automated equipment due to the high cost, we can apply the concept and methodology according to our reality”, he says.

Artificial intelligence, GPT chat and robotization were some of the most debated topics by the guest panelists, as we have already mentioned here. Today we will continue what was discussed by entrepreneurs in the 2nd edition of FoodCo. Experience, bringing the main trends and insights shared by the team of experts.

Investment in manpower and hiring of 65+

Although Artificial Intelligence was mentioned as an innovative and fundamental strategy for prospecting business in the food service sector, the panelists reinforced the importance of investing in people, in qualified labor, and the challenges of retaining professionals in the food service sector, especially of generation Z (15 to 28 years old).

For panelists Ozeias Oliveira, CEO and founder of Gold Food Service, and Sérgio Molinari, founder of Food Consulting, understanding the needs of employees has become a priority in the sector to ensure the identification and selection of the most qualified candidates.

“It is necessary to understand people’s needs, and what makes sense to them, to understand how they behave, how much they like again, for example, spending more time at home or not having such a hard working day” , comments Molinari.

The panelists pointed out that the difficulty in hiring is also due to the enormous diversity in dealing with different generations, which demand different mindsets and approaches. “We are clearly facing a change in posture in dealing with people. If we continue to do things the same way, paying and treating people the same way, we won’t leave the place”, says Oliveira.

In this same reflection, Ivan Achcar, director of EGG Educa, and Divaldo Maciel, founding partner of Limoeiro Casa de Comidas, stated that younger people do not work only for remuneration and that they value more time off. “Is it possible that there are no people to work with or do younger people not want to work? Have you thought about that?”, asks Achcar.

There is, therefore, a change in the profile of the workforce in the food service sector, aimed at hiring people over 65 years of age, with more qualifications and higher remuneration. “They are looking at the 65+ age group, because this public treats them as if it were their business and that is what the new generations need”, comments Maciel.

According to Patrícia Albanez, a consultant at Sebrae/PR, valuing people with more experience is already very strong in the United States and, soon, this trend seen in the international market will become a reality for Brazilian entrepreneurs. “What will greatly impact salon processes is the change in labor with a smaller, more qualified and more expensive team”, she comments.

In general, the panelists were unanimous in stating that dealing with generational differences in labor is a challenge, but also a viable solution that guarantees best practices in the sector’s businesses.

Plant-based sushi and egg

Plant-based technology as an alternative for consumers who want to consume more consciously is one of the current trends in the international market. Sushi and egg based on chickpeas and soy protein were highlighted by the panelists as novelties presented by numerous exhibitors at the NRA Show 2023.

The diversification of products with plant origin indicates a change in consumer behavior in the search for less industrialized foods. Even so, the new habit may take some time to be effectively put into practice, as pointed out by Natália Estrela, Head of Marketing for Food Service Latam at Cargill. “It won’t be part of the consumer’s daily basket to buy plant-based products at the supermarket, but when he goes to the restaurant he wants to try it, it causes that novelty”, she comments.

Increased use of plant ingredients

For Ailin Aleixo, gastronomic journalist and partner at Akuanduba Consultoria, sustainability and environmental awareness are fundamental aspects of the food service sector that can no longer be denied. The panelist emphasized that it is necessary to train cooks to make better use of vegetables, in order to bring greater diversification to the dishes and, furthermore, to break the stigma that food is only tasty if it contains some product of animal origin.

“Good food is good food, it doesn’t necessarily have to have meat,” he says.

According to the journalist, the negative effects of the industrialization of livestock on the climate and the environment have made meat one of the most problematic consumer goods in the world. As a solution, it proposes new consumption experiences that include predominantly vegetable recipes, using analogues to animal products, in addition to the rational use of dairy products and eggs, not having meat as the centerpiece of the dish, for example.

“I talk about baião de dois, because I think it’s very iconic, so much so that the dish you see most in restaurants that aren’t vegetarian or vegan is pasta with mushrooms and baião de dois without cheese or meat, because you can make a very interesting thing”, he comments.

In addition to the use of recyclable and compostable packaging, the full use of food was identified as a cost reduction strategy and an essential sustainable practice in the food service sector. As Aleixo explains, “you have to think beyond the ingredients”, using shavings and parts of ingredients that are usually wasted, such as vegetable and fruit peels.

With regard to conscious consumption practices, Aleixo also drew attention to a novelty in food service already in place in Singapore: the consumption of cultured meat, also called cellular meat. “Cellular meat is real meat, but the animal never existed. You reproduce that cell in the lab,” he explains.