Articles

The metaverse is a lot more than just the latest fad or a way for tech companies to earn huge dollars from retailers and brands to experiment with the latest cool idea (that may or may not become a reality). The metaverse has been around for a couple decades and was born in the gaming world, evolved back in 2003 into Second Life and then took a set back a bit when Google introduced Google Glass in 2013. Perhaps shoppers were not ready for the technology, or it was too clunky, unstable or expensive. Now, that’s all changed.

Gut health has received a lot of attention over the past several years as new research connects the microbiome to immune support and overall health. Recently there has been a new addition to the dialog around gut health: Postbiotics. This article reviews what postbiotics are, potential health benefits and ways to promote them to customers.

The pandemic has expanded the role of the retail RD and instead of reaching and educating customers in the aisle, they are now entering the crowded health and wellness digital space. In this session, Food Science Babe will share how food companies and experts can decide what social channels to communicate on and techniques for breaking through and clearing up misinformation as it relates to food and health. Giant Food dietitian Thu Huynh will provide practical advice on how to maintain shopper engagement and loyalty while managing misinformation in social media.

Undoubtedly, there are many career changes that have occurred as outcomes of the pandemic. This is indeed true for retail dietitians. This session creates an opportunity for students to explore today’s role of the retail dietitian as well as the skills needed to secure such a position. Our panel of presenters will address the need for a consultant mindset, how shifts in grocery shopping behaviors have increased the need for food safety experts, and how to position yourself for a role in retail.

Agriculture is at the center of discussions around climate change today. As a sector, it is a major contributor to climate change accounting for nearly one quarter of all global greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the farmers we depend on for food, feed and fiber are among the most affected by the increase in adverse weather like floods and droughts which impact their yields and livelihoods. But agriculture is not simply a contributor to and victim of climate change, it has the potential to help solve the climate crisis through the widespread adoption of climate-smart practices that not only reduce emissions, but also remove carbon from the atmosphere.

Participants in this presentation will receive background on the concepts behind the development of nutrition navigation programs, with a specific focus on the Guiding Stars nutrition guidance program. Dietitians Kitty Broihier and Allison Stowell will highlight how this scientifically based, patented program supports retail dietitians to help consumers make nutritious choices, improve in-store, on-pack, and e-commerce health and wellness messaging, and impact consumers long-term wellness.

The current food and nutrition regulatory landscape can be challenging to navigate, especially in regards to knowing what labeling is required and what claims are allowed on certain foods and beverages. Join Food Directions LLC to discuss the challenges and opportunities when it comes to labeling and claims for emerging trends like plant-based products, cell-based agriculture, sustainability/carbon footprint labeling, and cannabidiol (CBD).

Jillian Griffith, MSPH, RDN, LDN will draw from her experience at Giant Food and Amazon and share real-life examples of how retail RDs can make a positive impact in both brick-and-mortar and e-commerce settings.

Do you ever wonder what the future of eCommerce is going to look like? Experts believe it will be a space where consumers are both enriched and supplemented above and beyond what is available at the present time.