D ramatic shifts in consumer preferences are reshaping the food production chain. As millions of millennials enter the middle class, they will bring with them consumer preferences that will turn the way we have traditionally thought about food on its head. Out are processed foods by recognized brands whose mass-market appeal was convenience. In are concepts such as fresh, local and sustainable. Millennials, who analysts say will be even more dominant in the marketplace than baby boomers, are writing a new script. And one of the biggest demands atop their list is transparency. This once-in-a-generation seismic shift in food preferences will undoubtedly cause short-term confusion, yet may also uncover an emerging market, presenting a growth opportunity for food producers, processors and manufacturers. Enlightened Eating When you think about the history of technological change and food over the past 20 or even 100 years, little has changed, says Lynn Dornblaser, director of insight and innovation for Mintel, a food market research company. We eat a lot of the same sorts of foods our grandparents ate. It’s true that technology around food has changed — with food canning going as far back as Napoleon and more recent development of microwave cooking, she says. “Those are some significant technological > Your CHS Connection 7