Developing Food Trends - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 20 Academic Listening Test 2 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
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Questions 31–40 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Developing Food Trends
The growth in interest in food fashions started with 31 of food being shared on social media.
The UK food industry is constantly developing products which are newor different.
Influencers on social media become ‘ambassadors’ for a brand.
Sales of 32 food brands have grown rapidly this way.
Supermarkets track demand for ingredients on social media.
Famous 33 are influential.
Marketing campaigns
The avocado:
— 34 were invited to visit growers in South Africa.
— Advertising focused on its 35 benefits.
Oat milk:
— A Swedish brand’s media campaign received publicity by upsetting competitors.
— Promotion in the USA through 36 shops reduced the need for advertising.
— It appealed to consumers who are concerned about the 37
Norwegian skrei:
— has helped strengthen the 38 of Norwegian seafood.
— Ethical concerns
Quinoa:
— Its success led to an increase in its 39 .
— Overuse of resources resulted in poor quality 40 .
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | Photos / Photographs / Pictures | Interest in food fashions has risen rapidly since the birth of the smartphone when people first began taking photos of their food and instantly sharing them with their friends | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that people started taking 'photos' of their food when they got smartphones. They shared these pictures with their friends, which made more people care about food trends. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'photos', which means pictures taken with a camera or a phone. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'photos' because the transcript mentions that interest in food fashions grew when people started taking photos of their food and sharing them on social media. This shows how sharing 'photos' helped grow interest in food. |
| Q32 | Vegan | Companies which sell vegan produce were pioneers in being able to increase sales really quickly in this way | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that companies selling vegan food were the first to really succeed in selling their products fast using new methods. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'Vegan'. This means food that comes from plants and does not include animal products. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Vegan' because the transcript talks about how brands that sell vegan food became very successful by using social media influencers. These influencers helped to increase interest and sales of vegan products, making vegan food more popular in the market. |
| Q33 | Chefs / Cooks | particularly interested in what well-known chefs are putting on their menus | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that supermarkets want to know what famous chefs are cooking, which shows that chefs help decide what food becomes popular. Answer Explanation: The answer means 'chefs' or 'cooks' who make food. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'chefs' because the transcript says that supermarkets pay attention to what well-known chefs are putting on their menus. This indicates that famous chefs influence food trends, making their choices important for new products. |
| Q34 | Journalists / Reporters | They paid for a group of journalists to travel out to South Africa to meet avocado farmers | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that they spent money so that a group of journalists could go to South Africa to meet the people who grow avocados. Answer Explanation: The answer means that people who write news stories for newspapers or websites were invited. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'journalists' because the transcript states that a British PR company paid for a group of journalists to travel to South Africa to meet avocado farmers. This helped to raise the profile of avocados by having these journalists write articles about them. |
| Q35 | Health | Advertisements were designed to promote the avocado as a superfood, rich in nutrients and therefore beneficial for health | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that advertisements were made to show that avocados are a very special food that has many nutrients. These nutrients are good for your health. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'Health'. This means that the advertisement for avocados highlighted how good they are for your body. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Health' because the transcript mentions that the advertising for avocados was designed to promote them as a superfood, which means they are very good for health. This is why 'health' is the right word to fill in the blank about the benefits of avocados. |
| Q36 | Coffee | In the USA, the brand decided against a big retail launch in favour of getting the product into coffee chains, which removed the need for a big advertising budget | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that instead of selling oat milk in many stores, the brand chose to put it in coffee shops. This was a smart choice because it saved money on advertising. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'Coffee'. This means that coffee shops helped make oat milk popular in the USA. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Coffee' because the transcript explains that the brand Oatly decided to promote oat milk by placing it in coffee shops rather than using a big advertising budget. This was more effective for increasing its popularity. |
| Q37 | Environment | Oat milk had an advantage over other alternative milk products, such as almond milk. Many consumers prefer it because it has less of an impact on the environment | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that oat milk is better for the earth than almond milk. This is why many people who care about nature like oat milk. Answer Explanation: The answer means the natural world around us, including things like air, water, and living things. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'environment' because the information in the transcript explains that oat milk is popular among people who care about the impact of food production on the earth. The transcript mentions that oat milk has less environmental impact compared to other types of milk, which is why people who think about the environment prefer it. |
| Q38 | Reputation | The demand for Skre has been used by a food marketing agency to build the reputation of Norway's fisheries in general | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that as more people wanted skrei fish, a marketing agency worked to make people believe that the fisheries in Norway are very good. This means they helped to create a better reputation for Norwegian seafood. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'reputation'. This means how people think about something. If something has a good reputation, people like it and trust it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'reputation' because the transcript mentions that the marketing for Norwegian skrei has helped to build the reputation of Norway's fisheries. This means that people now think better about Norway's seafood because of the marketing efforts. |
| Q39 | Price / Cost | when demand peaked some years ago, the price soared, making it unaffordable for local people | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that when many people wanted quinoa, the 'price' got very high, which meant that local people could not buy it anymore. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'price', which means the amount of money you pay for something. 'Cost' also means the same thing. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'price' because when quinoa became very popular, its 'price' increased a lot. This meant that local people in Peru could not afford it anymore. The text mentions that the popularity of quinoa helped farmers make money, but it also caused problems for the people who needed it most. So, the increase in demand caused the 'price' to go up. |
| Q40 | Soil | One issue has been that the fertility of the soil decreased dramatically | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that the soil's ability to support plant life became much worse. This means that the ground could not help the plants grow as well as before. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'soil.' This means the ground that plants grow in. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'soil' because the transcript explains that due to the increasing demand for quinoa, farmers started working the land all year long, which caused the quality of the soil to become worse. This is important because it shows how a high demand for a food can have negative effects on the resources used to grow it. |
Transcript
There are trends in food much as there are trends in clothing. Interest in food fashions has risen rapidly since the birth of the smartphone when people first began taking photos of their food and instantly sharing them with their friends. The food industry in the UK in particular is obsessed with finding and exploiting the next big food trend. Marketeers aim to create a huge demand for a food item which was previously unknown or not needed. One of the most effective ways of promoting a new food product is by using social media influencers as brand ambassadors In return for free samples many influencers will post content about a product although there are influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers who can command large fees for their services Companies which sell vegan produce were pioneers in being able to increase sales really quickly in this way. For a food item to become really popular, it has to be readily available. So supermarkets have a role to play in creating a new food trend. They have dedicated teams closely following which new products or ingredients are trending on social media and are particularly interested in what well-known chefs are putting on their menus. I’d like to look at a few examples of marketing campaigns which were really successful in launching a new fashion trend. Starting in the 1990s with the avocado. A British PR company was hired to raise its profile and stimulate demand. They paid for a group of journalists to travel out to South Africa to meet avocado farmers. Articles written following this visit helped to educate the British public about the avocado, which at this time was certainly not the daily staple it’s since become. Advertisements were designed to promote the avocado as a superfood, rich in nutrients and therefore beneficial for health. Avocados became hugely fashionable, and within a few years UK avocado sales had grown from £13 million annually to around £150 million, making it one of the most successful fresh produce campaigns in UK history. Oat milk is a recent example of a new product which became fashionable very quickly. Now there are many brands available but one company which had early success was the Swedish brand Oatly They attracted a lot of attention with a media campaign which used provocation as a way of getting their message across effectively. The fact that this campaign aggravated competitors producing milk from dairy cows was seen as a plus, as it helped to make oat milk seem cool. In the USA, the brand decided against a big retail launch in favour of getting the product into coffee chains, which removed the need for a big advertising budget. This proved far more effective than offering samples in supermarkets. Oat milk had an advantage over other alternative milk products, such as almond milk. Many consumers prefer it because it has less of an impact on the environment. It requires significantly less water to produce than other alternative milk products and it also has a relatively low carbon footprint. Norwegian scray, a rarely available seasonal fish delicacy, otherwise known as Arctic cod, is now found on the menus of Michelin-starred restaurants throughout Europe. The demand for Skre has been used by a food marketing agency to build the reputation of Norway’s fisheries in general. Marketing surveys have shown that a significant number of shoppers now associate Norway with excellent seafood. Food trends can be considered a good thing in some ways, as they can benefit farmers and food producers enormously. The public can also be encouraged to buy things which are more sustainably produced. But ethical concerns have been raised about the effects a surge in demand can cause. Quinoa is a classic example. This plant is native to Peru and when demand peaked some years ago, the price soared, making it unaffordable for local people. While the popularity of quinoa has benefited farmers financially there have been other negative consequences. As demand grew, farmers began working the land all year round in order to produce more quinoa. One issue has been that the fertility of the soil decreased dramatically. which could potentially lead to desertification in some areas. Another example would be the case of…