These are turbulent times, even for the allegedly recession-proof food industry. Here are the trends three leaders are seeing as they prep for this gathering (June 17-19) in New York. --Theunis Bates

"You can't go into a supermarket and find a product that doesn't have a health claim on it. This makes the public confused about what to eat. At some point people will throw their hands up and say, 'We can't make any sense of this.'" --Marion Nestle, NYU NUTRITION PROFESSOR

"Despite the credit crunch, sales of free-range meat have grown. One-fifth of shoppers now say that animal welfare is one of their key drivers of product choice. [But] we're also seeing customers switching to cheaper cuts of meat." --Mark Price, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF WAITROSE SUPERMARKETS

"It's more important than ever to stay focused on the things we can control, [like] better understanding local needs. In North America, we're offering consumers fresher, less-processed products. In developing markets, we concentrate on affordable nutrition; in Indonesia, we sell Biskuat biscuits, fortified with nine vitamins and six minerals, and priced at five biscuits for about five cents." --Irene Rosenfeld, CEO OF KRAFT FOODS

Wed, June 17
Serve
World Food Business Summit
New York

Have an event to share? Email calendar[at]fastcompany[dot]com

Visit the FC Now Blog or Calendar Widget for more events.