COLIN: I was reading an article about food trends predicting how eating habits might change in the next few years.
MARIE: Oh things like more focus on local products? That seems so obvious, but the shops are still full of imported foods.
COLIN: Yes, they need to be more proactive to address that.
MARIE: And somehow motivate consumers to change, yes.
COLIN: One thing everyone’s aware of is the need for a reduction in unnecessary packaging-but just about everything you buy in supermarkets is still covered in plastic. The government needs to do something about it.
MARIE: Absolutely. It’s got to change.
COLIN: Do you think there’ll be more interest in gluten and lactose-free food?
MARIE: For people with allergies or food intolerances? I don’t know. Lots of people I know have been buying that type of food for years now.
COLIN: Yes, even if they haven’t been diagnosed with an allergy.
MARIE: That’s right. One thing I ’ve noticed is the number of branded products related to celebrity chefs – people watch them cooking on TV and then buy things like spice mixes or frozen foods with the chef’s name on. I bought something like that once, but I won’t again.
COLIN: Yeah – I bought a ready-made spice mix for chicken which was supposed to be used by a chef I’d seen on television, and it didn’t actually taste of anything.
MARIE: Mm. Did the article mention ‘ghost kitchens’ used to produce takeaway food?
COLIN: No. What are they?
MARIE: Well, they might have the name of a restaurant, but actually they’re a cooking facility just for delivery meals – the public don’t ever go there. But people aren’t aware of that – it’s all kept very quiet.
COLIN: So people don’t realise the food’s not actually from the restaurant?
MARIE: Right.
COLIN: Did you know more and more people are using all sorts of different mushrooms now, to treat different health concerns? Things like heart problems?
MARIE: Hmm. They might be taking a big risk there.
COLIN: Yes, it’s hard to know which varieties are safe to eat. Anyway maybe now…