THE CHANGING FACE OF FOOD
From ghost kitchens to upcycled ingredients, the rapidly changing food industry is being fuelled by environmental and economic social change.
EATING FROM HOME
The uptick in ghost and virtual kitchens started pre-COVID, but lockdown has certainly accelerated the trend. A ghost kitchen is where virtual brands are produced without a bricks-and-mortar location. Unlike ghost kitchens, virtual restaurants don’t rent from third parties, they have their own established locations, and use their existing kitchens to create additional, delivery-exclusive menus. Both delivery options have emerged to capitalise on the rising popularity of ordering out instead of dining in, with a growing number of Australians preferring to eat in the comfort of their own homes without having to wait for a table or for their food to arrive.
FOOD ARCHITECTURE
With major food-related challenges facing modern society, including sustainably feeding a growing global population and stemming the increase of diet-related chronic illness, food scientists are turning to what’s known as food architecture and functional foods to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable foods. Professor David Julian McClements from the University of Massachusetts’ food science department says food architecture can be defined as the “art and practice of designing and fabricating foods”. Think healthy processed food that tastes good. “It is possible to create healthier and more sustainable processed foods by the careful application of science and technology,” says Professor McClements.
UPCYCLED FOOD
As more companies look for ways to reduce food waste, upcycled foods (made from ingredients that would have otherwise been food waste) continue to grow in popularity. The UN estimates the waste of some 1.3 billion tons of food each year is causing economic losses of $750 billion and significant damage to the environment, so it’s a huge global issue. Australian company, I Am Grounded, makes snack bars from upcycled coffee fruit. “The fleshy pulp of coffee fruit tastes much like a plum,” says co-founder Lachlan Powell.