To help food-industry professionals stay abreast of how current issues and evolving consumer needs impact burger consumption, Technomic developed the “Burger Consumer Trend Report.” Findings include:
- Younger consumers are highly interested in vegetarian burger options, with 23% of consumers between the ages of 18 and 34 saying it is important for vegetarian burgers to be available on restaurant menus.
- The importance of health-halo attributes such as all natural, hormone free, steroid free and antibiotic free has grown since 2009. Half of consumers currently say it is very important to them that the meat used to make their burger is steroid free.
- The most commonly offered cheese on burgers at limited-service restaurants is American, but cheddar is by far the most popular in the full-service segment.
Photo caption: These Mediterranean sliders created by Alison Awerbuch of Abigail Kirsch Culinary Productions in New York City feature three BelGioioso cheeses: grated Parmesan, CreamyGorg and mild provolone—for a unique take on the all-American classic