With the beginning of a new year, one of the most common resolutions across the board is to be healthier. Whether that means starting a new diet or signing up for a discounted gym membership, consumers often see Jan 1 as an opportunity to work towards those healthier goals. But all too often by February, those resolutions have fallen by the wayside. We’re right back to the same foods we know and love and the gym shoes haven’t come out of the closet in weeks.
I believe this is an area where the F&F community can step in and help consumers out a bit. If we want to return to comfort foods and things we already know, why not formulate these things to be a bit better for us?
Sugar and salt reduction are two of the most common technologies I’ve seen when researching new flavor innovations. Consumers want to enjoy their familiar snacks and treats without some of the negative side effects. Flavor companies are actively working to develop new sweeteners that take away the sugar but keep the same taste, texture and mouthfeel. This is part of that creative problem solving process that I love to see in our industry.
The idea of food as medicine is not new, but more and more people are beginning to use their food choices as a way to take control of their own personal health. We’ve seen the rise of probiotic sodas and functional foods as consumers explore more personalized nutrition that works best for their bodies. The key is always taste: can we formulate a better-for-you cola that still tastes like what we know and love? There is a ton of potential for flavor companies to continue to innovate in this direction and help consumers take ownership of their health through the foods they choose.
Maybe our resolutions don’t have to be as drastic as completely changing our eating habits. Maybe it’s about finding alternatives and blending the old with the new, something the F&F community has embraced wholeheartedly.
