QSR Magazine writer Amy Sung recently wrote Buzzwords, Defined, an article highlighting the top-five buzzwords in the restaurant industry: Local, Fresh, Natural, Sustainable, and Artisan. You can read the full article on the QSR website, but here are the definitions and some quotes found in the article, along with this writer's commonsense point-of-view.
Let's start with some real advice from a regulatory expert.
“There are no federal definitions for sustainable, local, or artisan in regard to use of the terms on food labels,” says Arthur Whitmore, health communications specialist for the Food and Drug Administration. “However, the overarching requirement of federal food-labeling law would apply: Even in the absence of specific regulatory definitions, labels on food products must be truthful and not misleading. The requirement is set forth in Sections 403 (a) and 203 (n) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.”
Now, on to the definitions and common-sense guidelines.
Local = Food grown or raised in a particular area or neighborhood no more than 400 miles away from the quick-serve unit where it’s served, but usually closer.
The article references items sourced within 400 miles - but really, they need to be closer to home. Local should mean local so, anything more than a 3-4 hour drive and outside of your state is questionable.
Fresh = High-quality foods that are made to order and not altered by processing.
"....consumers’ definition of fresh is food that is not pre-made or mass-produced in a commissary kitchen, then wrapped and stashed until someone buys it." - Elizabeth Stewart, Marketing Director, Subway, oversees corporate social responsibility efforts for the chain.
Fresh means fresh, don't use a play on words like "hand-finished, fresh daily," as I recently heard in a TV commercial, to promote fake-freshness. The true test of freshness is in the taste, and your guests will know.
Natural = Foods existing in or produced by nature and free of man-made, artificial ingredients, including antibiotics and added hormones in animals.
“I’m not aware of a single definition for this,” says Kathy Means, vice president of government relations and public affairs for the Produce Marketing Association (PMA). “It’s one of the areas where caution is urged because many marketers use this term, and without more context or detail, it’s really hard to know what it means.”
When I think natural I think this product does not contain anything that is processed, has been treated with antibiotics or growth hormones and is grown the way grandpa used to grow it. Simple
Sustainable = Food from systems that take care to avoid depletion and damage of the source or the environment.
“For most Americans, the overarching concept of sustainability is too broad to be relevant on a daily basis—it is largely a word created by the industry, not consumers,” says Hartman Group’s David Wright, senior associate at the Bellevue, Washington–based consumer insights firm. “Brands and companies that are best able to tap into this consumer desire for reciprocity—the golden rule of treat others as you would like others to treat you—are more readily equated in the minds of consumers as sustainable.”
Typically people think of sustainable food as food sourced in a socially responsible manner from a socially responsible vendor that does not negatively impact the environment and helps to ensure the continued availability of the resource for future generations.
And finally Artisan = High-quality foods uniquely crafted using traditional methods and processes; often produced in small batches.
The NRA believes artisan is generally a reference to small-batch production of a product. “It can also refer to a traditional recipe or process, like a grandmother’s recipe or a 150-year-old process for cheese making,” says Annika Stensson, spokeswoman for the association.
So, to say something is Artisan means that it is created with TLC by someone who has a true passion for what they are doing and why they are doing it. Although, something may be promoted as "artisan" the true test of this buzzword in the experience of eating it.
I hope this brief, pulled from Amy Sung's QSR article helps you as search for new words, definitions and approaches to enhance your menu in ways that help you better connect with your guests.
Quickcue can also help you better connect with your guest through our unique guest experience platform that allows you to better know and serve your guests. Visit us at www.quickcue.com or follow us on twitter @quickcue.
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