World Food Tour

2010/11/20 Aulestiarte Lete, Izaro - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Dietetika/Elikagaiak

The main function of the “food trends hunter” is to watch the market first hand.

Lorenzo G.

On October 15, engineer Asier López, a “hunter of food trends”, began a two-month journey. The objective of the Food Trend Trotters project (World Food Tour) is to collect and publicize the food trends of all corners of the world through the Internet. And with this challenge he moved to Japan. From there he addressed the U.S. on the 8th, where both countries have been chosen for being pointers in food innovation.

The project is promoted by the AZTI-Tecnalia Technology Center, specialized in marine and food research, Mondragon Innovation Knowledge (MIK, S.Coop.) together with the cooperative. It has the support of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) and collaborates with the IRTA technology centre and the Basque Culinary Center.

Photograph taken in the market of Kyoto Nishiki.

food np djjewell

In short, the main task of the “hunter of food trends” is to monitor the market first hand. This will serve AZTI-Tecnalia to provide ideas and information that allow to innovate later in the field of food products and beverages.

Thus, in the Japanese and American markets it is intended to observe the buying habits, the preparation and consumption of food, the cultural, social and demographic aspects that influence the consumption, the packaging for food and the components of food products and beverages, among others. In addition, as for the food products, the novelties in the points of sale, marketing and advertising, as well as the new consumer trends will be analysed closely.

Asier López is not, therefore, a simple gastronomic journey of pleasure. Based on the guidelines set by AZTI-Tecnalia should collect relevant information for the consumer and food industry. The consumer being the final recipient of the project, his study focuses on four fundamental axes: food and health, food security, sustainability and new technologies applied to the food industry.

Researchers and bloggers

“My name is Asier. I am from Bilbao. I’m in Japan and I’m going to explain how an onigi is eaten,” Lopez said in one of the videos hung on the net. The work is completed with the technical information of the researchers of AZTI-Tecnalia, who is offering daily information in real time through the seven social networks of the Internet (Twitter, FourSquare, Youtube, Formspring, Facebook, Flickr and QIK). You can also consult his career in the blog.

Asier López writes in everything he has the opportunity to taste and offers explanations with photographs and videos to the general public. (Photo syvwlch ).

López writes with all that he has the opportunity to taste Onigi, surimi, somen, rare drinks, new flavors… and offers his explanations with photographs and videos to the general public. At least he has managed to awaken his interest, because every day many people follow his steps (on Facebook, for example, he has almost 400 followers).

The World Food Tour is a pioneering project for scientific dissemination and open innovation. López is the first “hunter of food trends” and his first stop is Japan and the US. But AZTI-Tecnalia wants to continue traveling the world through more “hunters”, with special attention to the pioneering or emerging countries in food innovation.

Published in 7K.