Brands are increasingly using the term as a synonym for “low calorie,” and are discovering it’s a hit with women.

Skinny Cow, SkinnyPop and Skinnygirl are just a few examples.

“It personifies food and makes it more endearing,” Kit Yarrow, a consumer-research psychologist and professor at Golden Gate University, told Advertising Age.

“Skinny,” she adds, is perceived as less offensive than the term “diet,” which is “overly serious and associated with sacrifice.”

For more, go here.

Speaking at the United Fresh Produce Association in San Diego this week, Walter Robb said his company is currently looking at click and collect options.

Why? Millenials are due to control about 30% of food retail sales by 2020, so it’s important to keep up with their evolving demands.

For more, go here.

Same goes for soda.

Until now, the only way to find out what people in the United States eat and how many calories they consume has been government data, which can lag behind the rapidly expanding and changing food marketplace.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are trying to change that by creating a gargantuan map of what foods Americans are buying and eating.

Part of the uniqueness of the database is its ability to sort one product into what it really is – thousands of brands and variations.

Take the chocolate milk.

The government long has long classified chocolate milk with 2 per cent fat as one item. But the UNC researchers, using scanner data from grocery stores and other commercial data, found thousands of different brands and variations of 2 per cent chocolate milk and averaged them out. The results show that chocolate milk has about 11 calories per cup more than the government thought.

The researchers led by professor Barry Popkin at the UNC School of Public Health, are figuring out that chocolate milk equation over and over, with every single item in the grocery store. It’s a massive project that could be the first evidence of how rapidly the marketplace is changing, and the best data yet on what exact ingredients and nutrients people are consuming.

That kind of information could be used to better target nutritional guidelines, push companies to cut down on certain ingredients and even help with disease research.

Just call it “mapping the food genome.”

“The country needs something like this, given all of the questions about our food supply,” says Popkin, the head of the UNC Food Research Program. “We’re interested in improving the public’s health and it really takes this kind of knowledge.”

The project first came together in 2010 after a group of 16 major food companies pledged, as part of first lady Michelle Obama’s campaign to combat obesity, to reduce the calories they sell to the public by 1.5 trillion. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation agreed to fund a study to hold the companies accountable, eventually turning to UNC with grants totalling $6.7 million.

Aided by supercomputers on campus, Popkin and his team have taken existing commercial databases of food items in stores and people’s homes, including the store-based scanner data of 600,000 different foods, and matched that information with the nutrition facts panels on the back of packages and government data on individuals’ dietary intake.

The result is an enormous database that has taken almost three years so far to construct and includes more detail than researchers have ever had on grocery store items – their individual nutritional content, who is buying them and their part in consumers’ diets.

The study will fill gaps in current data about the choices available to consumers and whether they are healthy, says Susan Krebs-Smith, who researches diet and other risk factors related to cancer at the National Cancer Institute.

Government data, long the only source of information about American eating habits, can have a lag of several years and neglect entire categories of new types of products – Greek yogurt or energy drinks, for example.

With those significant gaps, the government information fails to account for the rapid change now seen in the marketplace. Now more than ever, companies are reformulating products on the fly as they try to make them healthier or better tasting.

While consumers may not notice changes in the ingredient panel on the back of the package, the UNC study will pick up small variations in individual items and also begin to be able to tell how much the marketplace as a whole is evolving.

“When we are done we will probably see 20 per cent change in the food supply in a year,” Popkin says. “The food supply is changing and no one really knows how.”

For example, the researchers have found that there has been an increase in using fruit concentrate as a sweetener in foods and beverages because of a propensity toward natural foods, even though it isn’t necessarily healthier than other sugars. While the soda and chocolate milk have more calories on average than the government thought, the federal numbers were more accurate on the calories in milk and cereals.

Popkin and his researchers are hoping their project will only be the beginning of a map that consumers, companies, researchers and even the government can use, breaking the data down to find out who is eating what and where they shop. Is there a racial divide in the brand of potato chips purchased, for example, and what could that mean for health? Does diet depend on where you buy your food – the grocery store or the convenience store? How has the recession affected dietary intake?

“It’s only since I’ve really started digging into this that I have realized how little we know about what we are eating,” says Meghan Slining, a UNC nutrition professor and researcher on the project.

Steven Gortmaker, director of the Harvard School of Public Health Prevention Research Center, says the data could help researchers figure out how people are eating in certain communities and then how to address problems in those diets that could lead to obesity or disease.

“The more information we have, the more scientists can be brainstorming about what kinds of interventions or policy changes we could engage in,” Gortmaker said.

But the information doesn’t include restaurant meals and some prepared foods, about one-third of what Americans eat. If the project receives continued funding, those foods eventually could be added to the study, a prospect that would be made easier by pending menu labeling regulations that will force chain restaurants to post calories for every item.

Popkin and his researchers say that packaged foods have long been the hardest to monitor because of the sheer volume and rapid change in the marketplace.

The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, an industry group representing the 16 companies that made the pledge to reduce 1.5 trillion calories, says it will report this summer on how successful they’ve been, according to Lisa Gable, the group’s president. The first results from Popkin’s study aren’t expected until later this year.

Marion Nestle, a New York University professor of nutrition, food studies and public health, says the data could be useful in pressuring companies to make more changes for the better. Companies often use “the research isn’t there” as a defense against making changes recommended by public health groups, she notes, and it can be hard to prove them wrong.

“What people eat is the great mystery of nutrition,” Nestle says. “It would be wonderful to have a handle on it.”

He’s not the only one turning over soil in unlikely places. Across the Midwest, farmers are planting crops on almost any scrap of available land to take advantage of consistently high corn and soybean prices. Growers are knocking down old barns, tearing out fencerows and digging up land that had once been preserved for wildlife. Some are even suspected of tearing into pioneer cemeteries.

Kelly moved quickly when he heard the golf course was for sale near the Mississippi River, about 80 miles west of Peoria. With nearby land selling for $15,000 an acre, the 133-acre course with a clubhouse and campground was quite a find for $775,000.

“That’s why I wanted to get my paws on it so bad,” said Kelly, who estimates he can plant at least 80 acres on the property.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects farmers to plant 174.4 million acres of corn and soybeans this year, a record high. More than 97 million acres will be devoted to corn – the most since 1936 – as demand keeps prices high.

Prices soared above $8 a bushel last summer and have hovered around $7 recently. For farmers with production costs around $5 a bushel, there’s still room for a good profit.

The growing world population, widespread use of corn for ethanol and other factors have produced significantly higher demand for the crop in the U.S. and elsewhere, said Dan Steinkruger, executive director of Nebraska’s Farm Service Agency.

Gordon Wassenaar, who grows corn and soybeans near Prairie City, Iowa, east of Des Moines, said he’s removed fences and trees to squeeze in more crops.

“In all honesty, it’s easier to get rid of the buildings and crop farm as it is to take care of the buildings and mow and do a lot of that stuff,” Wassenaar said.

It’s a similar situation for Bill Bayliss, who raises cattle and sheep and grows corn, soybeans and wheat on about 2,000 acres near West Mansfield, Ohio.

“We tore out fencerows and tore down one old barn, and we farm right over it,” he said.

In Minnesota, state archaeologist Scott Anfinson is investigating whether farmers plowed up pioneer cemeteries. He will soon inspect an area of Grant County in west-central Minnesota, where a farmer hired an excavator to bulldoze trees and headstones near a pioneer cemetery dating to the late 1800s. Headstones were knocked down, and Anfinson will determine whether human remains or coffin parts have been turned up by a plow.

The farmer, who is in his 90s and farms with his son, could be charged with a felony if graves were disturbed. He will probably be required to replant trees and reset the headstones.

Anfinson said the family whose ancestors are buried in the plots is appalled.

“Families don’t forget about these things,” he said.

He’s investigating three other cases in which Minnesota farmers are suspected of “nibbling” at the edges of pioneer cemeteries.

Many farmers have pulled land out of the federal government’s Conservation Reserve Program, which pays farmers not to plant land that could easily erode or is ideal for grassland, wetlands and wildlife habitat. It’s become increasingly lucrative to farm or rent such land to another farmer rather than collect the government payments.

In Iowa, the average cash rent for corn or soybean fields is about $270 per acre, said Chad Hart, an Iowa State University agriculture economist. The average conservation payment in Iowa is $141 an acre.

Nationally, the number of acres enrolled in the program has slipped to about 27 million acres from a high of more than 36 million acres in 2007.

Losing that land worries conservationists, who see dwindling habitat as a threat to the already falling numbers of pheasants and other wildlife. It also raises environmental concerns about soil erosion and water quality, said Tom Fuller, Iowa co-ordinator for Pheasants Forever, a non-profit organization focusing on wildlife conservation.

Back in Biggsville, corn is returning to land that for 48 years was devoted to golfing. Kelly said his father farmed the land before selling it as a golf course. Although popular for decades, the course ran into trouble during the recession, and flooding by the Mississippi a few years ago hurt attendance.

“It was a well-run fun place for the community since 1970, and everybody was sad to see it close, including me,” Kelly said.

Tractors have replaced golfers at the former Whittemore Golf Club near Algona, in north-central Iowa. It closed in 2011 after more than 40 years and was planted over by a farmer.

The same thing happened near Wayland, Mich., where the Hidden Valley Golf Course closed in November and was sold to a farmer.

In Hastings, Mich., the River Bend Golf Course has ended its 49-year run. Former owner Denny Storrs said a fifth-generation dairy farmer approached him about selling the 180 acres that had been carved out of his family farm in 1963 for the golf course.

Now the land will produce crops to feed Larry Haywood’s cows.

“They made us a fair offer, and we thought it was an opportunity that might not come again,” Storrs said. “It was more valuable as a farm than as a golf course.”

Most of that waste occurs in the home, but around 11 per cent happens in the supermarket.

Now one chain is putting food waste to work.

Kroger Co. is using anaerobic digesters to turn food that it won’t sell at some of its stores in California into electricity.

Read more here.

The silent generation makes up more than 10 per cent of Canada’s total population. And it’s growing too. The number of Canadians aged 70 and up rose three per cent last year.

Only two age brackets grew at a faster clip: 65 to 69 year olds (7.2 per cent growth)–which includes both silent gen’ers and boomers–and the boomer 55 to 59 year olds (3.2 per cent).

READ: After the boom, grocers must cater to the echo

There’s another, more important, reason to pay attention to the silent generation: a tidal wave of greying baby boomers will soon be as old as silent gen’ers are today.

Within the next decade, seniors will comprise 20 per cent of the population, up from 15 per cent today. “That simple number makes this an important target market,” says economist David Foot, author of the seminal demo- graphic book, Boom, Bust & Echo.

Some experts argue that baby boomers, who grew up smoking pot and listening to Bob Dylan, will be radically different shoppers in old age than today’s seniors, who came of age quaffing Coke to Perry Como. That may be true for some categories like travel. But for food, age will be a great equalizer.

Old boomers will face the same medical, mobility and fixed-income issues as silent gen’ers. If we want to understand how the boomer bulge will buy groceries in their 70s and 80s, all we need to do is look at how today’s aged do it.

As might be expected, health is a preoccupation for silent gen’ers. A recent survey of this group by Symphony IRI found 37 per cent are on a low-sodium diet, compared with 23 per cent of younger boomers and 31 per cent of older boomers.

They’re also more likely than boomers to follow low-fat, low-sugar and high-fibre diets, with 33 per cent, 30 per cent and 29 per cent sticking to these diets respectively.

According to Symphony IRI’s Susan Viamari, grocers can “broaden the definition of health and wellness,” with senior customers. While boomers tend to follow news about the health-boosting effects of certain foods, today’s seniors might be less aware of such trends.

Whether it be today’s or tomorrow’s, seniors are a natural fit for the traditional grocery store. They don’t require the big quantities that necessitate a trip to big-box stores. They also eat out less.

Canadians 65 and older account for only 11 per cent of restaurant and delivery traffic, compared to 16 per cent for those between ages 25 to 34 and 17 per cent for ages 35 to 44, says Joel Gregoire, food and beverage industry analyst for the NPD Group. “When you stop working, you tend to skip further meals…you eat more of your meals at home as well.”

Looking ahead, says Foot, “salt is the big thing coming up [for seniors]. Canadian food- stuffs are way over-salted.” Grocers can help by establishing low-salt sections or putting labels for low-sodium products throughout the floor.

READ: For the next big generation of shoppers, it’s about me!

Keep in mind, however, that seniors view “health” differently than most people. Younger generations want to be “healthy” in general. Seniors are more worried about Specific medical conditions. chiefly, those are high cholesterol, heart problems, diabetes and digestive health.

By making explicit the link, say, between omega-3s and lower cholesterol, or marking low-sugar goods as “good for diabetics,” you’re speaking the language of senior customers, Viamari says.

Many ways to reach seniors are common sense. “Products should be easy to reach, not on the higher shelves, signs should not be in the ceilings,” says Jeewani Fernando, a consumer market analyst in Agriculture and Rural Development with the Government of Alberta. “Think about their eyesight when labelling.”

Smaller portion sizes are also key. Gregoire notes that seniors eat foods that aren’t as involved. Many are cooking for one, after all. That’s why seniors like frozen foods, adds Viamari. They can dole out a half a cup of peas at a time, for example.

All in all, seniors aren’t asking for much, and, unlike the fickle “millennial” generation we’ve been hearing so much about lately, if you treat them well, they’ll remember you.

The second annual ‘Food Revolution Day’ was celebrated in dozens of countries, including Canada, with hundreds of events aimed at raising awareness about healthy eating.

It was also designed to help keep cooking skills alive.

The website explains that “cooking skills used to be passed down from generation to generation, but now millions of people lack even the most basic cooking skills. We need to get back to basics: to cook and eat fresh local produce; to share cooking skills and food knowledge; to join forces within communities and get as many people involved as possible.”

For more information on the event and how Canadians celebrated, go here.

The Economist raises the provocative question in their latest issue.

They point out that the U.S.’s Food and Drug Administration this month announced it would look closely at caffeinated products, and Wrigley “paused” the launch of its caffeinated gum.

Despite high sales, media have widely reported on teen deaths suspected to be linked to energy drinks.

Is the regulatory scrutiny unfair? Perhaps, notes The Economist: “A large coffee from Starbucks has more than twice as much caffeine as a can of Monster.”

For more, go here.

One in five Canadians grill more now than a year ago, according to the annual Weber Canadian Grill Watch survey, with 62 per cent firing up the grill at least once a week.

No wonder barbecue season is now such an important time for grocers. To prepare, let’s look at some of the trends in barbecuing.

As one might expect, hamburgers are the most popular item to barbecue, followed by hot dogs, chicken and steak, according to the Weber Canadian Grill Watch survey.

But other cuts are catching on. Source grinds, for instance, are becoming more popular, says Joyce Parslow, culinary marketing manager at Canada Beef, which represents the Canadian beef and cattle industry.

Items like ground sirloin have emerged from foodservice, with more fast-food chains and restaurants serving up premium burgers like black Angus.

“People are looking to have a ground beef that has an identity around it,” says Parslow. “To think that it’s cut from a single steak commands more value back [to the consumer].”

In steaks, Parslow predicts that tri-tip, skirt and flank steaks will be big this year. And with these cuts, “there’s a gravitation toward doing a large steak and then slicing it and passing it around to the whole family.”

Brisket also appears to have some growth potential as people become interested in smokers, says Parslow.

While only five per cent of Canadians own smokers, 30 per cent in the Weber survey said they are intrigued by this cooking method. “It’s more in the hobby category, but maybe that will grow this year,” says Parslow.

How can grocers become the destination choice for backyard barbecuers? Start by putting meat on page one of flyers.

A survey of consumers last year by the Alberta Livestock and Meat Association found seven in 10 plan their store choice around flyers, with 78% saying meat specials directly impact where they shop.

In addition to price, consumers choose to buy meat from stores they think have the best selection, variety and freshness.

Interestingly, the ALMA study found Canadians rate Costco especially high for meat shopping.

Also, the number of stores people shop at regularly for meat is fewer than the number they shop at on a regular basis for groceries–two stores for meat, three to four stores for all groceries.

That shows Canadians are choosy about which supermarkets they think have the best meat departments.

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will strengthen E. coli testing in federally inspected establishments that use raw beef. Testing will increase between April and October–considered barbecue season.

Meat packers will also have to provide production and distribution information on demand and in a standardized format. Ritz says that will help speed up the food agency’s ability to trace products during investigations and recalls.

READ: Getting to the meat of the matter

“We’ve seen instances here and around the world where you’ve traced the wrong product and, of course, the one that has gone bad is still out there infecting people,” Ritz said at a news conference Friday.

“So this gives us more tools, more oversight, gives the CFIA stronger regulatory powers to make sure that the documents they get from the company are timely … (so) they can actually start to work on it immediately.”

The changes come after a tainted beef crisis at a southern Alberta beef plant last year.

XL Foods Lakeside in Brooks was shut down for about a month when E. coli was found in beef processed there. The discovery led to the largest beef recall in Canadian history. Eighteen people became sick from eating meat linked to the plant.

The plant has since been taken over by a Brazilian company.

“Certainly no one wants a repeat of any of the major recalls we’ve had in this country,” said Ritz.

“Can we guarantee there’ll never be anymore? No. Anybody that tells you you can is lying to you. It wouldn’t matter how much money, how many people you have on the lines, there’s too many moving parts to guarantee an absolute. But at the end of the day, we want to take every precaution we can.”

There will also be new labelling requirements.

Plants that produce mechanically tenderized beef cuts, such as steaks or roasts, will have to label them as such and include cooking instructions so people know they must cook the meat beyond rare in the middle.

“It’s common sense, but it needs to be out there,” said Ritz.

Mechanical tenderizers push into the centre of a cut and can carry any E. coli that may be on the surface further into the meat.

Health Canada also intends to propose broader mandatory labels to identify beef that has been mechanically tenderized at retail outlets such as supermarkets. A voluntary practice has been in place since 2012.

The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association said the new rules will strengthen food safety.

“The CCA is passionate about reducing E. coli and these new controls will enhance industry efforts in the fight against E. coli,” association president Martin Unrau said in a news release.

Unrau also pushed for irradiation. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency describes irradiation as exposing food to energy called “ionizing radiation.” It can penetrate food to kill micro-organisms.

READ: Irradiation is back on the table

Onions, potatoes, wheat, flour, whole wheat flour, whole or ground spices and dehydrated seasonings currently are approved for irradiation and sale in Canada.

“The (cattlemen’s association) believes irradiation, when used with food safety interventions already in use, could essentially eliminate E.-coli-related illness associated with ground beef,” said Unrau.

The food inspection agency will soon begin a two-year review of the country’s food regulations to ensure they are in line with the Safe Food for Canadians Act passed last year. The legislation melded four sets of food inspection regulations to ensure consistent rules and inspections.

Ritz said the agency will consult consumers and industry as it works on food safety improvements.

The cattlemen’s association said it hopes to gain approval for beef irradiation during that time.