Globalisation and Homogenisation in Food and Drink Consumption

This report discusses the effects of globalisation on food and drink consumption and cultural identity. It also provides insights into the factors to consider when opening and operating a food business.

EXAM QUESTIONS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
1. Globalisation and key underpinning aspects of homogenisation and heterogenisation in
respect of the food and drink consumption and the cultural identity..........................................1
2. Factors required to be considered in a plan for opening and operating the food business......3
CONCLUSIION..............................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Food and beverage industry sector contribute great deals for inc4reasing the profitability in
the hospitality industry. It requires to have deep knowledge and understanding of the foods and
drinks that are required to be served by the companies. Present report will address the aspects of
the heteorogenisation and homogenisation in relation with the food and drinks. Further it will be
addressing the factors required to be considered in planning for opening and operating food
business.
MAIN BODY
1. Globalisation and key underpinning aspects of homogenisation and heterogenisation in respect
of the food and drink consumption and the cultural identity
Food and beverage industry is increasing on a global scale accepting diversification and
consumption of more healthful products. Companies are in need for finding ways for creating
and differentiating the market products from other competitors. This is required to be done
ensuring the freshness, taste and nutrients on which customers rely.
One of the food processing is homogenisation for using cost effective and products safely. It
involves reducing particle size using the forces such as high pressures, turbulence, shear,
acceleration. It also allows the consisted and stable production of the emulsions and suspensions
which necessitate liquid suspended in other liquid.
The most use of homogenisation is done in the milk in food and beverage industry.
Homogenisation is widely used for manufacturing sauces, salad and spreads, concentrates, fruit
juices, sweeteners, egg, dairy products and many more (Callau, Montasell and Vila, 2017).
Homogenisation pressures on these products generally range between 20-60 MPa. Magnitude of
the pressures lead to enzyme and microbial inactivation enhancing safety and shelf lives of the
perishable food products reducing thermal effects over sensory and functional qualities of the
foods. Products are required to be reproduced once the ideal products are achieved without
losing desirable characteristic of the products by customers. Change in the taste and
characteristics may affect the company at large. It may lose it considerable number of customers
and damage to its reputation. Homogenizers on a global scale is helping companies to deliver the
products with uniform flavouring, texture and tastes by having cost effective and scalable
process and longer shelf life of its products. Instead of heating homogenisers help in preserving
the nutritional components of the food products for which they are purchased by the consumers.
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Homogenisation of the food products may replace the thermal methods of preparing the food
and is not useful in manufacturing of solid food products with large particles. Foods and
beverages are not sterilised by the homogenisation process. Companies using these process are
able to deliver the products ,more safely without destroying the natural ingredients of the food
products.
Heterogenisation represents the process that is leading to more inwardly appearing world
due to intensification of the flows across different cultures. Cultures experiences constant
transformation & reinvention because of the influence of global forces and factors. Globalisation
generates state of heterogeneity referring to the network structure where the nodes tends to
connect each other regarding cultural dimensions.
One of the contentious aspect of the globalisation is the cultural implication, whether
leading to the universal global uniformity or leaving room for the cultural diversity and
particularism. Impact of globalisation over cuisine and food supply is an old phenomenon (Calori
And et.al., 2017). There are several factors that led to the contemporary changes in the food
systems and consumption. FDI and liberalisation are the major factors that contributed to
homogenising factors of food consumption. Liberalisation allowed the purchase of foods from all
over the world. Homogenising g force of the globalisation is viewed as the threat to authenticity
of the food products. It is seen that food cultures are evolving continuously and are not static
showing changes due to the various external and internal stimuli. Another aspect of
homogenising force brings imperialism in the culture.
The perspective emphasise over increased interaction between the localisation and
globalisation would be resulting heterogenisation. This refers to bringing new ideas to the food
products being served by the companies. The mix of the certain food products may not be
acceptable in some culture that might be considered as affecting their cultural integrity. This may
affect the company and its reputation at ;large affecting their profits and overall growth. There
are various cases that could be seen as the examples that shows globalisation produce
homogenisation, and provides concomitantly impetus for the transformation of nature & meaning
that engenders heterogenisation (Raja, Morgan and Hall, 2017). Despite of rapid globalisation in
food market under various destination, homogenisation of the consumption or production is not
certainty. Various studies shows that the regional and local eating pattern will be remaining and
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will also grow in some circumstances. If it is manifested of increasing the awareness of the
cultural differences and preferences by number of multinational food corporation.
2. Factors required to be considered in a plan for opening and operating the food business.
For a opening or operating a food business an individual is required to plan for several
crucial factors. It requires deep knowledge of menu, location, operating hours and many more. It
requires to have a strong business plane which is essential for opening any of the food business.
food and beverage industry have number of profitable opportunities for growing and establishing
the business and this requires the person to have right concept and business model. For opening
or operating a business these factors are required to be considered in the plan.
Concept
The concept of the business should be well researched and planned before opening.
Concept of the business should be new and unique which offers the public something new or in a
way that is completely new. Concept may also be prepared with the help of professional about
what will be served, the options to customers, funds in the business and its potential sources. The
profit margins that will be kept at the products. All these things are included in concept that is
decided to be first at the planning. The concept of the individual should be strong and should be
implemented accordingly.
Location
It is one of the most important aspect for the food business. Half of the profits in the food
business are brought due to its location. Before opening it is essential to make decision about the
location of the cafe or restaurant. It should be visible from the street where it is located and in
knowledge of the people (Watts, Ilbery and Maye, 2017). Also, to ensures that the people are
able to spend time at food place without interruptions. Therefore, parking facilities should be
ensured in deciding the location.
Menu
It is the core aspect for which the business will be recognised or known. Individual is
required to decide the food in which it will be doing business. The food in which the owner is
having knowledge or is in demand of the consumers should be chosen. Research about the
market trends, tastes and preferences of the customers, competitors, profit margins related with
the product are to be analysed. Then the food and drinks preferred by the locality or region
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should be adopted by the individual in its menu. They are to be planned according to the cost
saving strategies like meals using similar ingredients.
Operating hours
In a food business it is necessary to decide the hours within which it will be operating.
Hours are decided on the basis of type of food that will be served by the business. Restaurant
generally do not have high hours at morning rather they are required to operate late nights. This
provides them with increased number of customers. Operating hours decide the type of
customers that will be visiting the food place.
Marketing
Every food business is required to advertise its business about its opening or operations.
they are required to plan how they will be making people aware about their business and
products. They will be required to invest some money initially for increasing public awareness.
One of the most trending social platform is social media platform that is providing the business
with opportunities to achieve new heights in their business (Dubbeling And et.al., 2016). It
should promote its business over social media where the news spreads fastest.
Licensing
Before the doors of food business are opened individuals are required to ensure that the
application for permits and licences are made. Several inspection are required to be passed
before staring the operations. Proper planning and quality to be used should be properly assured
as per state as well as federal requirements.
Target Customers
Type of customers that the business plans is the main aspect on which all others steps of
the planning process are dependent. The income level of the people targeted to be served are
required to be ensured so that the required level of profits are earned.
CONCLUSIION
From the above it is concluded that the globalisation has raised the homogenous and
heterogeneous constraints related to the cultural diversity. Organisations of the food and
beverage industry are required to consider them on global scale maintaining the cultural
integrity. For opening a food business several factors such as the concept. Menu, location,
customers and such other factors are required to be studied and researched at planning.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Callau, S., Montasell, J. and Vila, A., 2017. Food Cells and Food Nodes. Two New Concepts for
Rethinking Traditional Urban and Food Planning Practices. The Case of Barcelona’s
Metropolitan Region. In Toward Sustainable Relations Between Agriculture and the
City (pp. 111-128). Springer, Cham.
Calori, A. And et.al., 2017. Urban food planning in Italian cities: a comparative analysis of the
cases of Milan and Turin. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. 41(8). pp.1026-
1046.
Raja, S., Morgan, K. and Hall, E., 2017. Planning for equitable urban and regional food
systems. Built Environment. 43(3). pp.309-314.
Watts, D.C., Ilbery, B. and Maye, D., 2017. Making reconnections in agro-food geography:
alternative systems of food provision. In The Rural (pp. 165-184). Routledge.
Dubbeling, M. And et.al., 2016. City region food systems and food waste management. Linking
urban and rural areas for sustainable and resilient development. Eschborn: Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
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