Global press coverage

We were delighted to be interviewed by Insider for our global perspective on how the rising cost of living and inflation are implicating global eating habits.

We gave our expert opinion of how comfort eating is evolving, and how consumers are adapting their diets to cope with ongoing everyday financial pressures.

Alex Hayes, co-founder of UK-based food and drink consultancy Harris and Hayes, agreed that comfort food purchases would rise. The psychological reason, she said, came from something called "flavor fatigue."

"Flavor fatigue is a theory suggesting that when times are trickier, people look to simpler flavors which take less energy to process," Hayes said. "It helps explain why comfort foods sales rise in a recession, before switching back to more adventurous foods and flavors when economies return to growth."

"We also see a 'to hell with it attitude,' where people look for comfort, experience, and escape through their choices," Hayes added.

"Fresh vegetables are considerably more expensive than they were last year, resulting in a slump in fresh sales," Hayes said.

While that might mean fewer vegans, "flexitarianism," the trend of eating meat sparingly, which has accelerated in recent years, was likely to persist.

"This is not only part of a sustainable lifestyle. It's also to navigate the rising costs of animal proteins," Hayes said. "Those that do eat meat or fish are seeking out cheaper cuts, and experimenting with ways of making it go further."

Read the whole article on Insider.com