Innovations in Food and Drink Flavors

Despite the significance of key consumer trends such as health and convenience, taste remains the dominant influence on consumer choice. Flavor innovation is integral to new product development and cross-category migration represents a proven method of inspiration. This report provides a review of the most interesting flavor developments in food and drinks and highlights areas of opportunity.

• Identify the top, fastest-growing, and new flavors in the major food and drink categories.
• Use highlighted examples to discover the potential of flavor migration. Understand what works and what doesn't.
• Analyze current flavor trends and evaluate future opportunities.
• Learn how cross-category flavor migration is linked with strategic marketing options.
• Examine the creative processes that can help with development of new products with innovative flavors.

New bakery and cereal flavors include new savory sources such as Sea Salt and Seaweed, as well as the confectionery flavors, Nougat and Marshmallow. Red and berry fruits (Plum, Forest Fruit, and Red Fruit) also appear as new flavors in this category. The sweet and savory mix of new flavors in this category is interesting.

It is interesting to note that popular, traditional flavors are evolving courtesy of their development and description in terms of their authenticity, provenance, and specificity. Some recent product launches feature varietal flavors of strawberry such as Senga, or Wild Strawberry.

Almonds have traditionally been seen as a specialist nut for confectionery, snacking and baking, but more recently they are appearing in a range of categories, having been successfully promoted by growers and manufacturers. In the decade up to 2011, North American per capita consumption of California Almonds grew 71%.

• What are the most common flavors in new food and drink products? Which flavors are new and original and which are the fastest-growing?
• Why does cross-category flavor migration happen, how does it work, and what are the major flavor movements at the moment?
• What are the marketing strategies that leverage cross-category flavor transfer?
• What sort of opportunities are there for new products with cross-category flavors?
• How can the creative process be applied to develop new products with innovative flavors?

Table of contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction
•Drivers of cross-category flavor migration
•The process of cross-category flavor migration
•Definitions and origins of flavor
New and emerging flavors
•Leading, fastest-growing, and new flavors
•Flavors with cross-category appeal
•New flavors are specific to categories
•Current and future category to category transfer points
Cross-category migration flavor trends and innovations
•Alcoholic flavors move to lots of categories
•Soft drinks to ice cream
•Soft drinks to confectionery and vice versa
•Desserts to yogurt, ice cream, and confectionery
•Confectionery to ice cream
•Savory snacks with main meal/cooking sauce flavors
•The unexpected is the future?
Creating the products and flavors of the future
•Marketing strategies leveraging cross-category flavor migration
•Opportunities for new products with cross-category flavors
•Application of the creative process
Conclusions
•Flavors and trends to watch
•Other sources of flavor migration and innovation
Appendix
•Scope
•Methodology
•Bibliography/references
FIGURES
•Figure: New products with unexpected flavors for the category
•Figure: Major drivers of cross-category flavor migration
•Figure: Top, fastest-growing, and new flavors in major categories
•Figure: New Almond-flavored product launches
•Figure: New products with Fig content, or flavors described as Fig
•Figure: Novel Cola-flavored popsicles
•Figure: Flavor introduction and development within a category
•Figure: New Mojito- (and Piña Colada-) flavored products
•Figure: New ice cream products with soft drink flavors
•Figure: Smoothie- and fruit-juice-flavored ice cream products
•Figure: Jelly Belly and soft drink flavor exchange
•Figure: New Mars drinks and mixes with chocolate confectionery flavors
•Figure: Semtex Cool energy drink
•Figure: New ice cream and yogurts with Cheesecake flavor
•Figure: New ice cream and confectionery co-branded products
•Figure: Potato chips with savory flavors from other categories
•Figure: The Burger King Bacon Sundae
•Figure: Product launches using ""healthy"" flavors in unexpected categories
•Figure: Chuao Chocolatier Potato Chips in Chocolate bar
•Figure: Kraft Philadelphia Cadbury Cream Cheese Spread with Milk Chocolate
•Figure: Very Peculiar Milk Chocolate
•Figure: Faith carbonated wine alternative: Rosé, White, and Red
•Figure: Creating new product concepts with cross-category flavor transfer
•Figure: Flavors and trends to watch
•Figure: Key drivers of food and drink flavor innovation

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Related research categories

By sector: General drinks, Flavours (in Soft drinks)