Amy Barnes

We organized all Marie Kondo episodes into a neat and tidy four-page script. Much better!

The Great American Burger is a fast casual mainstay. While consumers know and love burger basics of meat, cheese, condiments and bread; Carl's Jr. looks to add innovative ingredients when serving up new menu items. Whether that is Beyond Meat patties or unique milkshake flavors, consumers can always find new taste innovations straight from the kitchens of Carl's Jr. On March 27, Carl's Jr. innovates again with the launch of their indulgent Bacon Truffle Angus Burger.

The humble cup of coffee meets science and innovation at RISE Brewing Co. Consumers faced with a range of beverage options look for beverages that new ways to rise to the top. RISE Brewing Co. began with their signature nitro cold brew and initially didn't imagine moving beyond nitro brews. In 2018, they entered the oat milk space with Oat Milk Latte beverages and on March 4th, they launched their first non-nitro brew product: Organic Oat Milk.

My Irish ancestors arrived in the United States in the 1920s. They promptly met up with the Sicilian side of my family and a carb-filled history was born. At Ellis Island, the Irish surname went from McYoung to Young, a stroke of the pen removing the Irish “Mc” forever, while the Sicilian name stayed the same but was mispronounced for the next century. In tribute to their immigration path, I have officially sworn I will never go paleo or carb-free or just plain potato-free.

I crawled into my Crazy Coupe to hide with my brother. I made him come with me. He had to drive. I needed to sleep. He was my car co-pilot; too young to protest. I slunk into the slick red plastic car and drug my feet. No one saw me.

Tony the Tiger. The Rice Krispies characters. Each character is linked forever with their food brand. After bringing Greek yogurt to America a decade ago, Chobani launched their first kid-friendly yogurt Chobani® Gimmies™ tied to a character line with branded merchandise. In March 2019, Chobani brings the animated Gimmies characters to TV and promotional products.

With Nashville's country music as its backdrop for the first time, KeHE Distributors, LLC's (KeHE) Summer Show moved into the Music City Center Exhibit Hall on February 5-6, 2019. A Southern welcome drew more than 4,000 industry professionals and nearly 750 exhibitors serving up new and on-trend products for retailers.

The Great British Baking Show is a hot trend but there is also a contest state-side that has endured for nearly half a century: the Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest. On February 23rd, the latest Grand Prize Winner was crowned: Melissa Jollands of Hudsonville, Michigan. Her winning recipe? A Dublin Cheeseboard-Stuffed Appetizer Bread that would make UK competitors proud.

An ice cream truck. An truck full of oranges. A familiar red Coca-Cola truck. 70's theme music. Academy Award viewers were treated to a new flavor of Coca Cola ads and beverages. Coca-Cola's launch of Orange Vanilla Coke began with a high speed TV chase and aims to score big during March Madness.

With plant-based burgers at the forefront of menu trends, Southern-based Farm Burger is bringing a new option to fast casual dining tables. Farm Burger has launched a Chesapeake Bay Blue Catfish sandwich with the invasive species protein at its base. The farm-to-table fast casual restaurant's invasive species option is guided not only by sustainability but also a cultural background.

Bacon may be one of the most memorable foods because of its smell, taste and texture. An alternative to pork bacon for consumers cutting out or cutting down on traditional pork bacon has been a gap in the market. Capturing that specific sensory experience of bacon isn't an easy task, especially for companies looking to create a plant-based version. Outstanding Food's co-founder and executive chef, Dave Anderson is doing just that by creating PigOut Chips.

In the crowded ice cream space full of innovative flavors, Tasty is counting on an extra ingredient to drive sales: its social media reach. The world's largest social media food network launches the first four flavor flight of its exclusive limited-edition ice cream flavors in February.

Since 1987, Red Bull has matched consumers with their unique "wiiing"ed energy drinks. Just in time for Galentine's and Valentine's Day celebrations, they've released two new flavors to love: the Red Bull Peach Edition and the Red Bull Pear Sugarfree Edition. Both let consumers "pear" up with a fruit-flavored Red Bull that matches their palates.

With Dry January in 2019, The Coca-Cola Company's Venturing & Emerging Brands (VEB) division stepped out of the traditional beverage space with a quartet of new offerings: sangria, bellini, hard cider and a ginger mule.