Contact: Jeannette Roeder
jroeder@idfa.org
(202) 220-3562
Food-and-Diet Trends Expert Harry Balzer of The NPD Group
(Washington, D.C.-June 11, 2010) Harry Balzer, a national expert on food and diet trends and author of the NPD Group's Annual Report on "Eating Patterns in America," will be a keynote speaker at the International Dairy Show on Wednesday, September 15, 2010. In addition to Balzer's presentation, the show will feature a consumer-trends and product-development track of educational sessions.
The International Dairy Show will take place September 13-15 at the Dallas Convention Center.
"In our online poll, nearly one quarter of people responding said that consumer tastes and trends are the biggest issues they will face this year," said Robin Cornelison, IDFA trade show manager.
Widely known within the industry as the authority on consumer eating habits, Balzer is the chief industry analyst and vice president of the NPD Group. He has been tracking the eating and drinking patterns of Americans for the last 30 years, which is why more than 90 percent of the nation's food and beverage manufacturers rely on him and the NPD data to provide consistent and comprehensive information about America's eating patterns.
Balzer conducts more than 30 ongoing food-related consumer research studies, including:
- How many Americans are dieting and what kind of diets are they on?
- How often do Americans exercise? What are people's attitudes about health and nutrition?
- How often do people cook, and what appliances are being used more or less often?
- Which foods are gaining or decreasing in popularity for each meal?
- How do food safety concerns affect food consumption?
Balzer was recognized by Self Magazine for being one of 25 people in the United States who has changed the way the nation eats, cooks and thinks about food. His television appearances include Today, Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, CNN and CNBC. Balzer has been extensively quoted in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, Fortune, Forbes, Time, Newsweek and a host of other business and trade publications.
The International Dairy Show, presented by the International Dairy Foods Association, will feature the newest innovations in technology, packaging, ingredients and services for the dairy foods industry. Educational sessions will offer solutions that span the entire manufacturing process, and attendees will have the opportunity to visit exhibits displaying everything dairy companies need to run more efficiently, create new products and improve profitability.
For more information, please visit www.dairyshow.com, or contact Cornelison at rcornelison@idfa.org.
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The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation's dairy manufacturing and marketing industries and their suppliers, with a membership of 550 companies representing a $110-billion a year industry. IDFA is composed of three constituent organizations: the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), the National Cheese Institute (NCI) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA). IDFA's 220 dairy processing members run more than 600 plant operations, and range from large multi-national organizations to single-plant companies. Together they represent more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States.