As recently as 15 years ago, most Americans had never heard of hummus, or even its base ingredients of chickpeas and tahini. But now the dip is a staple in many US homes and makes common appearances in lunchboxes, at picnics and on many restaurant menus.

Consumer demand for local food and beverages is no longer a niche market – rather it is fully mainstream. But an outgrowth of this trend that is just starting to peek over the horizon is a “do-it-yourself” food and beverage movement, according to market analysts.

Grass-fed claims on products are a beacon for consumers who are health-conscious, want minimally processed food and care about animal welfare, and as such manufacturers increasingly are using them on products across categories and channels to drive up sales sharply.

Seafood checks many of today’s on-trend boxes, including being high in lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids, sustainable, natural and minimally processed – yet consumption of it in the US continues to fall, prompting manufacturers and public health advocates to become more creative in how they market and package fish.

Trends may come and go, but they often don't stay gone forever -- rather most eventually cycle back in vogue, as is the case with the current focus on “ancient wisdom,” and time-tested, traditional cooking techniques and ingredients that are influencing today’s food and beverage industry.

Finding solutions to reduce sodium, sugar and calories in finished products is essential as regulators and consumers demand healthier products – but the increasing desire for “clean labels” adds a complicating twist to the process of sourcing suitable replacement ingredients.

Consumer demand for products and companies that “do good” – such as donate a percentage of sales to a non-profit, follow environmentally friendly practices or meet religious needs – continues to rise and in doing so illustrates that doing good is not only good for the community and company moral, but it also is good for business.

Consumers’ increasing demand for healthier options is reshaping the competitive landscape across categories – including indulgent ones such as chocolate, where they increasingly want darker chocolate, nutritious inclusions, and new formats that help them control their portions, according to an industry expert.

With thousands of startups, innovators and established brands packed into one convention center, the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City is a hotbed for spotting emerging and maturing trends in the food and beverage space.

With the effective date for Vermont’s GMO labeling law officially here and the debate surrounding whether and how to identify genetically engineered ingredients in food and beverage continuing to amplify, a recent CivicScience poll uncovered a startling fact: Almost half of Americans still don’t know what GMOs are and are undecided whether they harm human health.