The Food Industry from Feeling Full to Fulfilment

Abstract

The foods developed and marketed by the Australian food manufacturing industry have provided an insight into the industry’s evolution as it has responded to community expectations. The dominant societal expectations of the twentieth century are presented as eras. The expectations of each era continue to contribute cumulatively to each subsequent era, resulting in increasing complexity and sophistication of society’s demands. This evolution of the food industry’s products and function is depicted by a conceptual framework, which portrays the inter-relationship between society, government and industry within each of the proposed eras. These eras are examined and used to explain why the current trend for change and functional expectations will continue to strengthen.