As e-commerce continues to intensify in the business-to-business sector, the food industry has taken a giant leap forward in adopting electronic methods for locating products, according to FoodTRENDS(TM) 2000, a comprehensive annual study on purchasing trends among food industry buyers and specifiers.FoodTRENDS(TM) 2000 clearly indicates that the food industry is keeping pace with the surging world of e-commerce in terms of electronic sourcing/purchasing and the development of credit/charge card usage. The survey found that areas seeing significant growth include sourcing/purchasing on the Internet or with proprietary software, e-mail communication, and credit card acceptance and use for wholesale purchases.The survey sponsored by Thomas Food Industry Register and American Express examined three key market segments -- restaurants with fewer than six units, wholesalers/distributors, and food processors."The majority of food industry executives are sourcing via the Internet," says Linda Rigano, Publisher of Thomas Food Industry Register. "With wider product selection online, the ability to buy direct, and the convenience of shopping during non-business hours, more than 80% of respondents expect their online purchases to increase over the next two years."