• Specialty Food Association 2024 Winter Fancy Food Show Junior Trendspotter Panel   


Upcycled and Upscaled, Fruits as Snacks, Non-Alcoholic Comes of Age among Trends from the 2024 Winter Fancy Food Show

The Specialty Food Association hosted eight graduate students and three professors from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), William F. Harrah College of Hospitality during the 2024 Winter Fancy Food Show. Featuring more than 1,000 companies and thousands of products from around the world, the Specialty Food Association (SFA) Winter Fancy Food Show ran from January 21-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

"We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the Specialty Food Association in Las Vegas and it is a valuable learning experience to connect with the people and companies who contribute to the innovative trends that are happening in the industry today," said Joseph Lema, Ph.D, Professor, Doctoral Program Coordinator.

The Winter Fancy Food Show Junior Trendspotters identified the following top three trends exemplified by many exhibitors at the Show:

  1. Environmental Impact - Burroughs Family Farms regenerative organic nut butters; Nutraberry seed powders; IBIDEN Bussan Co., Ltd. plant-based animal-free shrimp; SoMeat Aburiyaki Karaage Mince; Hiddenfjord sustainably farmed salmon; upcycled Confetti Black Truffle Mushroom chips.
  2. Beverage Innovation - Club Mate low sugar energy drinks; Bolero & Co. Ltd. watermelon-flavored drink mix; T...ST Rosé Alcohol-free sparkling beverage; White Coffee Snickers, Twix and M&Ms coffees; Unity Wellness Co. organic energy drinks; Artly robot coffee maker.
  3. True to Culture - Fukuroya Co., Ltd. low-salt miso; SR Foods Corporation Avocado Fritter Garlic Tempura; Vandersterre Prima Donna cheese; Miscela d'oro Italian coffee; Caplansky's Deli mustards; Donika olive oil from Albania; Macoritto Valentino S.r.l. breadsticks.

The SFA 2024 Winter Fancy Food Show Junior Trendspotter Panel was composed of nine UNLV William F. Harrah College of Hospitality participants, under the guidance of Professor Lema and Seyhmus Baloglu, Ph.D. Professor, Associate Dean of Research:

  • Angelika Bazarnik
  • Dennis Baloglu
  • Sooyeon Lee
  • Inyoung Jung
  • Xinyue (Cindy) Hu
  • Yuze (Crystal) Ji
  • Niansong (Harry) Zhang
  • Wai (Sunny) Sun
  • Samuel Lee, Assistant Professor in Residence

"It is exciting to network with industry professionals, share cutting edge ideas, and to participate in recognizing trends to help inform our research in a real life setting that is like no other considering the large scale and size of this unique event," said Yuze (Crystal) JI, Hospitality Doctoral Studies.

A full Trendspotter Panel report from the Winter Fancy Food Show can be found online here.