The bi-annual Fancy Food Show is an incredible source of inspiration within the food and beverage industry. Every year, Symrise attends to get a glimpse of the future of food and drink and to report on the ground breaking products that are leading the way.
Over the years we've watched health and wellness become an increasingly important focus among consumers and consequently impacting food & drink trends. We’ve looked back at the all of our Fancy Food Show trends from 2014 to 2018 and picked the 5 most prominent health trends that you can expect to endure. Here they are:
1. Nuts About Coconuts!
2. Whole Lot of Honey
3. Beneficial Beverages
4. Healthy Protein Snacks
5. Back To The Roots
Nuts About Coconuts! Alternative fat and super fruit, the coconut can inspire indulgence or fuel health functions. The 2014 Summer Fancy Food Show introduced cross-category coconut applications from chips to cheese and waters to caramel candies. The coconut craze continued into the 2016 Fancy Food Show, we saw more coconut chips and new snack concepts!
Whole Lot of Honey: Between 2014, 2016 and 2018, honey has been a source of innovation at the Fancy Food Shows. Starting with spreads in 2014, honey has made its way into flavored functional water in 2018. Consumers view honey as a healthier source of sweetness.
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Beneficial Beverages: Wellness Beverages made a big splash with Matcha in 2014, citing the Japanese tea as a nutritional powerhouse ingredient. Within a year, we saw Matcha jump from beverage into categories ranging from chips to dips. Fast forward to 2017, where 'Beneficial Beverages' not only have functional benefits like energy boosting capabilities and antioxidants but have tie themselves to a variety of need states like revitalization and relaxation. Over the past year, probiotics and fermented beverages like vinegars and shrubs, looked to augment gut health regimes. 'Beneficial Beverages' are becoming more hyper focused on solving specific consumer issues instead of casting a wide net of benefits as previously common.
Healthy Protein Snacks: 2016 was a kick start to healthy snacks taking off in mainstream like never before. 2016 saw snack and meal lines become blurred as snacks offered sophisticated flavors and nutrients similar to meals. The main focal point which became clearer in 2017 was the claim of added or extra protein in snacks; protein snacks extend themselves to our 2017 trend surrounding jerky and are taken a step further in 2018. Our trends signify how snacks (in this example, jerky) are hot with consumers because of the portability and satiability. As we move forward, we expect our Quirky Jerky trend to open the door further to alternative protein/meat substitutes. We will continue to see snacks high in protein, including plant/alternative protein, focus on key issues like convenience and permissibility.
Back To The Roots: Between 2017 and 2018, the Fancy Food Show got back to it’s roots – natural roots that is. Ginger's spicy heat is appearing in everything from ice cream to jerky while tumeric is celebrated for its health properties and earthy character. Into 2018, ginger remained a leading flavor for spirits and we also saw this natural root in craft beer.
