Packaged Facts

More U.S. households are turning over at least some of the food purchase decisions to a population demographic not known historically for exercising great judgment: Children and teenagers.

Weight management concerns are top of the mind for a substantial portion of today's grocery-aisle cart-pushers -- consumers, that is.

There's a perfect storm brewing and marketers are stacking up the sandbags to divert the flood into their funnels. When the storm is over, Millenials will emerge as a new leader of the global spending market.

Packaged Facts' March 2012 Pet Owner Survey reveals that 84%of respondents agree that their pets have a positive impact on their emotional health, while 77% agree their pets positively impact their physical health.

For the pet market, the evaluation of pets to family is paramount because it legitimizes levels of spending that would have once been deemed excessive.

The therapeutic pet food segment appears capable of sustaining significant growth if traditional veterinarians become more enthusiastic about recommending specialized foods, as is the case with holistic veterinarians.

Fruit is omnipresent. Fruit plays a role in every daypart from breakfast to late-night snacks. Fruits go from the produce aisles to the snack shelf and freezer case. It is transformed into beverages, condiments and baked goods of all kinds.

Consumer packaged goods marketers need to continue to launch fresh products using vegetable juice sources such as beets, increasingly creative blends of fruits and vegetables, and new juice drink formulations for fitness-conscious consumers.

Orange juice reigns as king of the mass market, with $3 billion in sales. Juices and juice drinks with cranberry flavors racked up $851 million, while apple juice and cider had sales of $748 million.

According to "Meat and Poultry Trends in the U.S.", a report from Packaged Facts, retail sales of meat and poultry products topped $85 billion in 2012, up from $73 billion in 2008. Looking ahead, sales are projected to reach $98 billion by 2017.