The Pandemic Upped My Cooking Game

Jaynie Norman • Jan 27, 2021

By JENNIFER SHIKE January 26, 2021

Although there are many reasons why I can’t wait for this pandemic to end, one thing I will miss is the increased time our family has spent sitting around the table together. I always knew we had a crew of talkers, but 2020 reinforced this at our home. It also brought me closer to my roots – spending more time in the kitchen preparing family favorites and discovering some new ones, too.

I have to admit – I certainly upped my cooking game last year, and research shows I’m not alone. In fact, data in the HUNTER Food Study Special Report Wave Two: America Keeps on Cooking shows 51% of Americans are cooking more and 41% are baking more than they did at the same time last year.

This study assessed how attitudes and behaviors regarding purchasing, preparing and consuming food have evolved nine months into the pandemic (December 2020) as compared to at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis (April 2020). HUNTER says this gives us a lens into which of these habits are likely to continue into the new year and beyond.

"The study results gave us some interesting data to consider as we enter into a new year and endeavor to predict how it will unfold," said Heddy DeMaria, chief insights officer at HUNTER. "As restrictions from the pandemic remain in place, it's inspiring to see how resilient Americans have become. They continue to channel their energies into the kitchen, adopting habits that bring joy, spark creativity and strengthen family bonds. As we eagerly look forward to a post-COVID era, the data suggests these new habits will stick around and become part of our new normal."

The study’s top findings include:

1. Americans are more confident and creative in the kitchen.
Respondents said the main reason they are cooking at home more is to save money (67%), eat healthier (56%) and feel good (56%). Those cooking more at home also report increased confidence in their abilities (50%) while another quarter of consumers say they are learning more and building greater confidence, the report said. An increasing number report branching out to try new ingredients (47%), brands and products (52%) and many continue to rediscover old favorites (24% ingredients, 16% brands and products).

2. Americans still find joy in preparing meals.
Despite anecdotal evidence of pandemic cooking fatigue and baking burnout, HUNTER reports these activities remain a source of joy for consumers. More than three quarters of survey respondents that are cooking more say that they find enjoyment in cooking (81%), an eight-point increase over the Wave One / April 2020 findings. As many cooks can attest and the data shows, home cooking also helps brings families together. 45% of consumers report eating together more as a family and the number climbs to 55% among households with kids.

3. Food waste and healthy food consumption are trending back to pre-pandemic levels.
Although the pandemic has impacted many consumer habits, data shows that while many Americans are wasting less food (42%) than pre COVID-19, this number is significantly down (-16 points) since April. HUNTER reports this may be attributed to American's response to the decreased threat of food shortages. A similar shift took place with regard to consumers' consumption patterns. In addition, one-third of Americans claim to be eating more healthy foods, but the same claim to be eating more indulgent foods as compared to the same time last year. More than half of respondents (56%) report that their healthy/indulgent food consumption is similar to pre-COVID levels, a 14-point increase since April which suggests we are moderating over time back to pre-COVID consumption patterns.

4. Snacks and spirits are on the rise in single-member households.
In the wave one study in April 2020, HUNTER found that households with kids were initially the most challenged with change – showing the greatest increase in snacking, drinking alcoholic beverages and gaining the most weight. The latest study shows that this has reversed as these households are starting to moderate back to pre-COVID levels, while single-member households are starting to show the biggest uptick in all of these factors.

5. Takeout and delivery experience major surge after April decline.
With the restaurant industry facing unprecedented challenges in 2020, HUNTER reports it may be heartening to learn that takeout and delivery orders are up significantly when compared to the onset of the pandemic. In fact, 40% of Americans are now claiming to order more takeout and delivery versus the same time last year and only 20% are doing so less, resulting in a net increase of 20% (versus a net decline of 8% in Wave One / April 2020).

Read the full report here.

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Jaynie Norman

Bill would label livestock rivals as ‘imitation’ or ‘lab-grown’ meat

By Jaynie Norman • 01 Feb, 2024

By Chuck Abbott Successful Farming With U.S. approval of cultivated chicken grown in fermentation vats, farm-state lawmakers filed companion bills in the House and Senate on Tuesday to require alternative proteins, such as plant-based foods, to carry the words “imitation” or “lab-grown” on their labels. Sponsors said they wanted to prevent confusion in the supermarket between “real farm-raised meat” and its rivals. Plant-based meats accounted for 2.5% of retail packaged meat sales in 2022, according to the Good Food Institute, a think tank and network of organizations “working to accelerate alternative protein innovation.” Only a trickle of cultivated chicken is on the U.S. market at present. Upside Foods said last September it would build a commercial-scale plant to produce cell-cultured meat products in suburban Chicago. The USDA is working on label regulations for cultivated meat. In the interim, it decided Upside Foods and Good Meat, which were cleared last summer by USDA to sell cultivated meat to consumers, would label their products as cell-cultivated chicken. “The American consumer deserves to know what they are eating and feeding their family,” said sponsor Rep. Mark Alford, Missouri Republican. “It’s only fair that all products are labeled fairly.” Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall said, “Distinguishing between a black-bean burger and an actual beef burger shouldn’t be hard.” Under the legislation, foods made with plant protein and that are sold with a name associated with products from a food-bearing animal or that are created to taste or look like them would be required to carry the word “imitation” on the label or a word to show the source of the protein. “Meatless chicken tenders” would be one possibility, according to a summary of the bill. Similarly, labels for cultivated meat would include “cell-cultured” or “lab-grown” immediately adjacent to the name of the food. The bill was backed by the largest groups speaking for cattle, hog, sheep, and chicken producers, the American Farm Bureau Federation, and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. Livestock producers have argued for years for restrictive labels to prevent alternative proteins from using names associated with animals. A one-page summary of the bill is available here . To read the text of the legislation, click here .

Prevention and Treatment of Tick Bites

By Jaynie Norman • 23 May, 2023

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Livestock and Animal Antibiotic Changes are Coming Soon

By Jaynie Norman • 12 Jan, 2023

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in June 2021 that all medically important antimicrobials for food-producing animals and pets will move from over-the-counter (OTC) to prescription (Rx) effective June 2023 . A prescription is already required for most antibiotics delivered to livestock, and the remaining three categories of injectable antibiotics available over-the-counter will soon be joining the list of medically important antimicrobials that require a veterinarian’s prescription. To add to the stress of raising livestock, now things will change again which is going to influence the ag industry overall. I hope that this list of medications will give people a chance to read it and become familiar with the situation before the change comes in June of 2023. Changes Coming are as follow: In 2018, the FDA established a 5 year plan for supporting antimicrobial supervision by veterinarians. The plans purpose to address antimicrobial resistance using only medically necessary drugs as necessary to prevent, treat and control disease. It has to be determined by a licensed veterinarian if it is necessary, but you won’t have to order the prescriptions from the vet directly. You will, however, need to establish a Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR) if certain animals are not examined regularly. Popular Products Will Require Prescriptions Following a recent penicillin shortage, soon producers will get hit with this change that once again impacts access to antibiotic therapy for animals. When you’ve used them for so long as OTC meds to treat pneumonia or shipping fever in your livestock, Now, the change will be to establish the relationship with your veterinarian to get the prescriptions for these meds. Here is the list by active ingredients. The following are some products that will be seeing label changes to prescription-only status: Oxytetracyclines Injectables: Liquamycin LA-200, Noromycin 300 LA, Bio-Mycin 200, Agrimycin 200, etc. Boluses: Terramycin Scours Tablets, OXY 500 Calf Boluses Penicillins (Penicillin G procaine, penicillin G benzathine) Injectables: Penicillin Injectable, Dura-Pen, Pro-Pen-G, Combi-Pen 48, etc. Intramammary tubes: Masti-Clear, Go-dry, Albadry Plus Sulfa-based antibiotics (Sulfadimethoxine, sulfamethazine) Injectables: Di-Methox 40%, SulfMed 40% Boluses: Albon, Sustain III Cattle & Calf Boluses, Supra Sulfa III Cattle & Calf Boluses Tylosin Injectables: Tylan 50, Tylan 200 Cephapirin, cephapirin benzathine Intramammary tubes: ToDAY and ToMORROW Additionally, several swine medications fall under the new guidance: Lincomycin Injectables: Lincomix 100, Lincomix 300, LincoMed 100, LincoMed 300 Gentamicin Injectables: Garasol, Gentamicin Piglet Injection ToDay Mastitis Treatment for Lactating C ows