Self-Care Shapes the Flavor Landscape

Self-care via food and drink appears to be the driving force behind current flavor trends, according to research presented by Mimi Bonnett, senior director of insights for Innova Market Insights.

In a presentation Monday on the IFT FIRST^®: Annual Event and Expo floor, Bonnett sorted trends into five categories: sensory therapy, authentic and rooted, imaginative taste adventures, healthier enjoyment, and quality and enrichment.

“People are really kind of emotionally charged and emotionally drained at the same time,” Bonnett said. “We are all in need of a little relaxation.” The sensory therapy trend shows up in, among other places, soothing drinks featuring chamomile and reishi mushroom.

“To be mentally and emotionally well is the primary health goal for consumers in the United States,” said Bonnett, adding that consumers are seeking products that promote mental clarity and stress relief.

Instead of engaging in emotional eating, said Bonnett, consumers are increasingly eating for their feelings—to support cheerful and happy moods. A recent Innova survey revealed that sweet herbal and fruit are among the flavors favored to achieve this, as are classic brown, creamy, and rich comfort flavors.

Authentic and rooted flavor trends are revealed in the continuing popularity of diverse global flavors. The fastest-growing global flavors from 2022 to 2024, Bonnett reported, are from South Asia (up 51%), Latin America (up 21%), and America (up 17%).

Make authenticity simple and convenient, Bonnett advised, with sauces, seasonings, toppings, bread and bread products, and sugar confectionery.

The imaginative taste adventures trend is seen particularly in Generation Z and millennial consumers’ proclivity to crave adventure and new taste discoveries—and they will likely pass them on to the younger generations as well. “Millennials are now 45 and under and have kids,” Bonnett pointed out.

Examples of this trend include the Papa Johns and Mountain Dew spicy Cini Dirty Soda collaboration and Frida’s Breast Milk Ice Cream. The former blends Mountain Dew’s citrus flavor with the kick of a Papa Johns pepperoncini, resulting in what the pizza chain described as a “fizzy, tangy concoction” in a news release.

The maternal and infant care brand Frida announced the ice cream as part of a promotion for its breast pump, Bonnett said, adding, “This is another of those wild taste adventures that is probably not in it for the long haul.”

Underpinning the healthier enjoyment trend is the reality that consumers don’t want to sacrifice taste to eat healthier. This is reflected in sugar reduction and alcohol reduction, “which is easier said than done,” Bonnett admitted.

U.S. consumers want to have healthier options across all categories, and 45% say light versions of food and beverage products (with reduced sugar, salt, fat, and/or calories) are healthier than the originals, she reported.

“Flavor elevates quality perception,” said Bonnett, explaining the thinking behind the quality and enrichment trend.

“Good/premium quality is the No. 1 attribute, aside from price, in determining whether a product offers good value for money,” she said.

Quality cues differ by age groups, with Gen X and boomers looking for freshness, price, nutritional content, and health benefits, while Gen Z and millennials consider advertising, safety, environmental impact, and processing methods to judge quality, according to Innova research.ft