Eco-conscious packaging to top culinary trends in 2020

Eco-friendly packaging will have the foodservice industry buzzing in 2020, according to the National Restaurant Association’s annual What’s Hot Culinary Forecast.

The survey, conducted in partnership with FoodService Director sister company Technomic, surveyed more than 600 members of the American Culinary Federation, asking them to rate how “hot” 133 menu items and other foodservice concepts would be in 2020.

Eco-friendly packaging received the highest ranking of any item surveyed, given the ever-growing demand for grab-and-go and delivery options. Consumers are looking for environmentally conscious packaging, and local and state regulations are forcing eateries into making more sustainable choices.

Plant-based meat alternatives, the No. 2. trend on the list, have made their mark on menus across the foodservice industry, from large chains to independent operations. In 2020, nonmeat proteins will “take off in response to increased consumer demand,” the survey found.

2020’s hottest produce item? Mushrooms. The multipurpose vegetable, which is popular in specialty burger blends, outranked items such as caulilini (baby cauliflower) and raabs such as arugula, turnip and collard greens.

Here are the top 10 items from the 2020 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast: