Food Trucks Industry Switching from Cheeseburgers and Fries to Lettuce Wraps and Kale Chips

Food truck vendors started to gain popularity in the United States around 2008, when citizens had to cut back on spending due to the economic downturn. Entrepreneurs saw this change in consumer preferences as a way to provide unique cuisine options to people at their convenience. Fast-forward five years, now there are many vendors in the marketplace and capturing the audience’s attention is becoming tougher than ever before. Now-a-days consumers are more cautious about the health benefits of the food they are putting in their body and, at the same time, are spending more and more time using technology to interact with the world around them. That is where unique marketing strategies by vendors come into play.

Many cities around in the US host a weekly event where food truck vendors gather at one location from lunch until early dinner. The event, called Food Truck Roundup, takes place at different lots across the city each week to attract customers from different areas.

It is not difficult to get started in the food truck industry but differentiating yourself from the masses of other trucks lined up downtown during peak lunch hours is a different story. Many food trucks are pertaining to healthy eating lifestyles by offering food catered to those who are vegan or vegetarian. Imaner Consultants, an ethical organization who specialize in vegan website involvement, calculated that 95 percent of vegans go out of their way to buy foods from ethical companies. The group also discovered that 96 percent of vegans use the internet as a way of locating vegan products. Some food trucks have taken these statistics into consideration and work to enhance the social responsibility of their trucks and portraying their vision on social media sites. When catering to vegans, vendors consider not only the type of produce they use when preparing each dish but also the type of fuel used in their trucks and the types of packaging and utensils used to eat the organic dishes.

The Cinnamon Snail, based out of New York, New York, won Mobile Cuisine’s 2013 Vegetarian/Vegan Food Truck of the Year. The truck is known for its assorted pastries and desserts, soups, salads, and burgers.

Aluminum foil is used by many trucks as a way to serve hand held meals like sandwiches and wraps. The foil is not only an easy clean up for guests but its recyclable capabilities cater to those concerned with preserving the earth. Vendors see it as a way to get the food to customers quicker and using foil doesn’t require any extra packaging material. It is a cost effective way to ensure the food inside stays the same temperature from the time it comes off the grill to the time the consumer opens it up to enjoy. Shanghai Metal Corporation offers a wide array of aluminum foil for packaging. To read more detail on the types of foil we offer be sure to check out our website here. Be sure to join the conversation in our LinkedIn Group, Facebook, and Twitter.

Sources: IBISWorld, Imaner Consultants, mobile-cuisine.com

By: Kristie Kaaa / SMC Editor

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木制用品和不锈钢用品

不锈钢自诞生以来，凭借其焊接性优良，耐腐蚀，耐热，而价格相对低廉，迅速占领大量家用生活品的市场。诸如厨房用具中的锅碗瓢盆；清洁用具中的消毒柜，水槽；公共设施中的放置自行车的固定物，雕塑。甚至在一些装饰用品上，不锈钢制的用品也越来越普遍。SMC公司开发的不锈钢制的多功能商务卡就是一款集个性，新颖，实用于一体的新型产品。可以说，不锈钢制品正在向不同类型的商品中扩张。

不锈钢的扩张毫无疑问占据了一些本该是木制用品所占据的市场。比如筷子，勺子这样的家庭用品。

两种材料的筷子与勺子各有各的优势。不锈钢制品不容易发霉，易于清洁，但用起来太滑，手感不是很好。木制筷子用起来手感较好，容易操作，而且具有一定的抗菌作用，但是用久了容易发黑，雨天容易发霉。外型上，木制筷子会显得稍微上档次一些，而且会附加一定的文化或者其他属性。

像上述的这种比较一样，木制用品和不锈钢用品在很多领域，市场中都有一些碰撞。除了消费者偏好的影响，不同地区的文化与习惯也往往是一种潜在的决定因素。比如说，诸如中国，日本，韩国等等的东南亚国家的文化中，筷子或者勺子都习惯于用木制产品，而且作为文化的一部分不停的继承。西方的刀叉则一直沿用金属器具，也不会习惯木制用品。在考虑开发一片市场时，做的决策必须要和当地的文化，意识形态联系起来，否则可能事倍功半。

不锈钢的过度普遍有时难免会给人带来一种廉价，不是很高档次的印象。在一些特定产品的开发中，如何扭转这张印象可能比较重要。除了这种商品本身的功能性，附加一些诸如文化，时尚，历史背景等等要素可能会产生效果。

Aikawa Z.//SMC Editor

Stainless Steel Cookware, the Safe Option

You probably think that if your food is thoroughly cooked, then the food is safe enough to eat. However, did you ever stop and think about your cookware? How safe are your pots, pans, and utensils?

Like most people, you may be unaware of the possibility of your food being filled with particles from your cookware. If that is the case, now is the time for change. A safe alternative to regular cookware is Stainless Steel cookware. Why Stainless Steel? Stainless Steel resists corrosion. This means that the surface of stainless steel will last for a long time. The materials will not break off or flake. With Stainless Steel, you will not need to worry about contaminating your food with chemicals and metal particles. When it comes to your health, you cannot take chances.

The best part of choosing stainless steel cookware is that they are extremely sturdy and durable. You will even save disposable income because they do need to get replaced often. As a matter of fact, stainless steel will outlive any non-stick surface. Many may argue that non-stick cookware is easier to clean, but stainless steel is actually the better and the healthier investment for you and your family.

In truth, Stainless Steel cookware may be a safer option than most if not all non-stick pots and pans. Why? Non-stick cookware will corrode faster and will contaminate food more than stainless steel. Will you take the risk of melting the Teflon coating off of your non-stick cookware? Melted Teflon is extremely hazardous and toxic. Stainless Steel is not difficult to clean with proper care and proper use. On top of that, you do not need to worry about melting Teflon off with stainless steel cookware. With most non-stick cookware, there is a heat limit. If you surpass the heat limits, you may be endangering yourself and your family.

Melted Teflon

 

Remember that Stainless steel combines many metals including nickel, manganese, chromium, etc. Make sure to purchase high quality stainless steel cookware. The better the quality of the stainless steel, the less amount of nickel will get into your food. For example, if a pot is made from a type 430 stainless steel, then you know that it contains less than 0.50 percent of nickel. The chances of contamination are very minuscule. In the end, the choice is up to you. Research the type of stainless steel cookware you wish to purchase. Make sure you are getting the high quality Stainless Steel that you deserve.

 

Think about using Stainless Steel utensils as well. Utensils get washed and used everyday. You want to make sure that the utensils you are putting in your mouth are safe for your health. As far as safety of the food, performance, and longevity, your best bet truly is Stainless Steel.

To learn more about High Quality Stainless Steel products and SMC, CLICK HERE.

For Stainless Steel Utensils that you know you can trust, CLICK HERE.

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