NEW YORK - Texas has its barbecue sauce, Vermont, its maple syrup. Now, New Jersey is trying to expand its food image beyond farmstand corn and tomatoes to include products like vegan gelato and asparagus salsa.
At the 52nd Summer Fancy Food Show here last week, state economic development groups sponsored New Jersey's first pavilion to promote homegrown specialty foods, as states like Vermont and New York have long done.
In doing so, they're hoping to capitalize on people's interest in foods that are locally grown and made, as well as retailers' desire for products that can differentiate themselves from competitors.
"It's really to create awareness about the great variety of products that come from New Jersey," said Lou Cooperhouse, director of Rutgers' Food Innovation Center, one of the pavilion's sponsors. "People are very interested in buying foods that are local, because of food safety or food security or supporting their local economy. And there might be a perception that it's less expensive."
The effort comes as specialty food sales are growing at a 15% clip and supermarkets are increasingly eager to grow their 72% share of the category. Retailers and distributors represent a growing share of the show's attendees, according to the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, which organizes Fancy Food.
"Now, a lot of the bigger players are seeing the potential in the food market," said Ron Tanner, NASFT vice president.
Several foreign countries were represented for the first time by exhibitors, which Tanner attributed to the growing demand for ethnic products in the United States and the weak American dollar, which makes other imported food products more expensive here.
At the same time as they seek out foods from abroad, though, consumers are placing greater importance on buying local. According to 2005 data from the Natural Marketing Institute, 16% of U.S. adults say having their food and beverages locally grown is very important, while 49% say it's somewhat important.
The trend is strongest among the health and wellness-oriented, who are becoming aware that organic food may be coming from far away, said Laurie Demeritt, president of The Hartman Group consulting firm. With its overlap with other health and wellness trends, she said, "We think [interest in local] could be one of the key things that come up soon. Local could become one of those things that's increasingly important."
Marcia Blackwell, founder of Blackwell's Organic in Red Bank, N.J., maker of the vegan frozen treats and a Fancy Food exhibitor, sees that trend playing out with her own customers. "Many people who buy our products buy them because they're from New Jersey, especially in the natural food market," she said. "When you buy something that's trucked from California, it might be cheaper, but you've got an environmental cost."
