The best of two worlds

Prepared Foods, Jan, 2002

Once a "new age" sounding buzzword describing Internet and online services allowing people to obtain information, the term "Internet highway" has become almost quaint-sounding.

When I first started surfing some seven years ago, websites with photos were a novelty, and useful information was scarce. The web has since become my phone book, encyclopedia, travel agent and shopping mall, among many other things.

In the 2002 Prepared Foods' R&D Investment Survey, a select readership was queried on methods employed to obtain information on technical issues, ingredient sources and so on. When asked to rate the frequency of several methods used to obtain information on consumer product trends--from 1 (seldom or never use) to 10 (most/frequently use)--% of the responses gave the Internet a score of 8, 9 or 10.

To the above, let me add a comment about a common and frustrating occurrence among our writers. As we research articles, we usually have far more information on a topic than space permits in the magazine. It's the two-dimensional equivalent of the phenomenon referred to as "sound bites" in audio media.

Merging increased reader Internet use with our desire to offer you more information has resulted in a key element of this month's Prepared Foods' redesign. (Hopefully, you've noticed. If not, you may have been a bit too enthusiastic in your New Year's celebration.) On this page and at the end of many articles, we've included a list of websites relevant to the editorial we present. Over time, our efforts to pinpoint key informational sites will be refined.

Although PF's effort to include useful Internet information in its print version is just accelerating, the Internet has long been viewed as an expedient way to provide information for food and beverage manufacturers. For many years, PF had the luck to be guided by management that kept an eye on the future in regards to how readers worked to solve their information needs. One result is that eight years of PF articles on a keyword searchable database can be accessed at www.PreparedFoods.com.

If you have not done so already, spend some time perusing our website. A lengthy calendar of industry events and association list, a classified ad page for food industry jobs and, of course, daily news updates are just a few of the things you'll find there.

We intend to offer you the best of two worlds.

Claudia O'Donnell

Chief Editor

odonnellc@bnp.com