Change is constant, and North American food manufacturers are determined to make sure that the performance in their plants is better tomorrow than it is today. That is one of the key findings in this year's State of Food Manufacturing Study, a survey measuring the pulse of the industry, first undertaken by Food Engineering in 1980. The concern with continuous improvement is virtually universal, based on responses to a new question on how survey respondents' organizations are addressing this need. 

Expectations of the dining experience have many influences for attendees. Among those influences are the generational expectations of food, food culture, and how we dine together. While some trends change year-to-year, we can also observe trends in expectations generation-to-generation. Ultimately, different age groups respond differently to trends in food service and in turn, we try to manage a responsiveness to expectations.

While we love creative chefs and professional cooks, July is the designated month of recognition for leaders in culinary trends and dining excellence. Dine out, take a cooking class, or create a delightful new recipe on your own. However you choose to celebrate, Thrive! Would love to hear about it because promoting creativity, especially when it comes to food, is what it’s all about.