Bell Flavors & Fragrances has revealed its trend themes for 2014 which include sweet meets savory as well as sweet and spicy.
The top trends and flavors include:
- Kimchi
- Ginger
- Aronia berry
- Huacatay
- Szechuan peppercorn
- Asian cooking sauces
- Almond caramel popcorn
- Whole grains
- Pepita
- Halo Halo
Many macro trends from 2013 will continue into 2014, according to Bell. Allergen concerns will continue to increase and innovative solutions will be developed. Cooking sauces like red miso, oyster, soy, peanut and fish sauces will be reformulated to offer allergen-free versions.
The company has also noticed that the gluten-free craze isn’t slowing down and said flavors will play an important role in the development of these products as consumers demand high-quality, great-tasting flavors. Diet crazes come and go, but healthy lifestyles are here to stay. This can be seen in products that are putting a healthy spin on familiar flavors. Bell is also seeing a whole new generation of superfruits, such as aronia berry, popping up in grocery stores nationwide.
Latin America and Asia have proven to be popular sources of new ethnic flavors. High-profile events like the World Cup and Olympics will peak interest in Brazilian and South American culture and cuisine, the company said. The year will also continue to bring the heat as consumers explore new ways to add a kick to their meals.
Today, spicy notes not only round off confectionery products but also give a certain touch to alcoholic drinks. Other creative insights for 2014 include trendy flavors for savory pretzel snacks, milk mix drinks in a variety of flavors, bitter flavors in soft drinks such as “Tonic Infusions” (a new hybrid segment interfacing between bitters and classic soft drinks categories and flavor trends) and cucumber-flavored products.