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ITS predicts flavour trends
23 Apr 2019As part of its drive to pinpoint flavour trends for the future, ITS (International Taste Solutions) carries out intensive market research.
This, the company claims, enables the ITS marketing and innovation teams to advise customers on emerging flavours and help them develop new recipes to capitalise on market opportunities.
The company believes the main flavour trends on the radar that will emerge during 2019/20 are:
Very Berry Berry flavours are on trend, there’s no doubt of it. Why? Well, berries are highly nutritional and healthy, they work well in endless applications and are attractive to the eye, which makes them instagrammable and shareable on any digital platform! We are talking about strawberries, raspberries or blueberries, but also new, more exotic varieties like açaiberries or goji berries! Tropical Temptation Consumers dream of being on vacation all year round and what flavours could be better to bring us on holidays than tropical flavours? They are ideal, especially in the summer season, when we will see passion fruit, mango, guava, jackfruit and papaya in drinks, bakery, snacksand sports nutrition applications. Green Is Go The healthy trend is here to stay and its colour is, definitely green. Green veggies, greenfruits and anything naturally green fits in here, even herbs and spices! Their natural appeal will make the product a success, whether it is a shake, a cereal bar or a yogurt. Cucumber, kiwi, spinach, avocado… but also green tea, or basil are welcome! Room for Mushroom Following with the natural and healthy market move, earthy flavours are on the rise too.Mushroom flavours make us recall the pleasure of sniffing the earthy air that rises up after it rains. Shiitake, truffle or porcini flavours will be increasingly seen in delicatessen breads and buns, savoury biscuits or crisps. Citrus is Back Lemon, and especially lime are on trend. And so are tangerine, orange and mandarin. We are seeing citrus in many different applications, which will increase even more during 2019-20. Yogurt, milk shakes, bars, sports nutrition gels and powders, and even crisps will include citrus flavours! Travel the World Consumers want to travel the world through food. The amount of restaurants offering world cuisines is increasing everywhere and supermarkets are listing more and more options on world food. During the next two years, Italian spices and flavours will continue to grow,alongside Indian flavours and curries and Chinese meals and spices. Mediterranean Flavours Mediterranean flavours from Italy or Spain like rosemary, basil or garlic have been in the market for a long time now. The next two years, though, will see a different range of Mediterranean flavourings being launched. This time, it will be flavourings from the Eastern Mediterranean. We will see pistachio, olive oil, watermelon, date or mint will be used in bread, biscuits, drinks, cereals and dairy. Warming Spices The aim to renew product ranges and to surprise the audience brings brands to launch seasonal products, which are very welcome by consumers. The Winter season is ideal for warming spices like pumpkin spice, orange spice, gingerbread or apple spice. We will see them in hot drinks, cereal bars, biscuits, dairy and sports nutrition amongst others. Sensory Explosion Consumers are looking for new, exciting experiences, even when they eat. Following with this trend, we will see more products aiming for a temperature or texture shock. Hot spices combined with sour flavours, popping candy or extreme combinations will be seen within this category.