A recent Forum topic started by Member Indio32 caught my attention because it confirmed something that I have been noticing in my local supermarket. The issue is that some ingredients - mainly more traditional or 'old-fashioned' items - seem to be disappearing from grocery store shelves. The issue raised is broader than just one country as people from Australia, the UK, and the US have noticed this. In my neck of the woods, ingredients including certain cuts of beef, a few baking ingredients like superfine (caster) sugar, and produce items as basic as shallots have gone missing. In place of these items a crop of processed ingredients or prepackaged meals has sprouted.

In fact, the produce section in my local grocery store was rearranged to make way for an entire case of 'shortcut' items like prechopped vegetables and fruits and premade salads. In addition to the shallots, fennel, daikon radish, tomatillos, and a few other things vanished. At the same store, the fish case is gone altogether and the butcher case features very few items actually cut on site; most of the meat arrives at the store precut and shrink-wrapped, so forget about getting bones or chicken backs for stock. In the Forum thread, Members felt that the changing landscape of cookbooks was a factor in this shift, with books incorporating more readymade ingredients. This is somewhat of a 'chicken and egg' issue, because it can be difficult to determine if the cookbooks are leading the way on this or following trends.

© rawpixel, 123RF Free Images

While it is discouraging to lose ingredients you have enjoyed for years, I have found a few bright spots. There is more than one brand of tahini, and the cheese selection has expanded. People with dietary restrictions are likely pleased that an entire aisle is dedicated to gluten-free options, and there are more vegan items like cheese substitutes. It does seem like the trend of 'shortcuts' to meal time in the form of precut vegetables and meal kits that recently made an appearance will be here for the foreseeable future. We will have to seek out smaller shops or find mail-order options. Have you noticed this trend in your local stores and if so, what do you think is the cause?