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Inspired Tastes

Taste Through Texture

March 2020 | Brian, Marketing Manager

From crunchy to airy, fizzy, bubbling and carbonated, lots of interesting new textures are taking center stage in the world of food and drink. This provides ample opportunity to reinvigorate traditional foods with new forms or create entirely new treats.

Why This Trend Will Stick

CONSUMERS CRAVE SPARKLING DRINKS

Nielsen all-channel sales data in August put retail sales of sparkling flavored water in the past 12 months at $2.45 billion. The segment is still tiny compared with carbonated soft drinks — $26.74 billion in sales in the same time period —but represents a huge growth area. Against the backdrop of declining sales for soda, brands such as Massachusetts-based Spindrift reported triple-digit spikes in the last year. - Washington Post

LOTS OF LOVE FOR PUFFED SNACKS

“Today, we are seeing a broadening of the puffs and extruded snacks category, due in part to consumer demand for better-for-you foods,” says Mark Singleton, vice president of sales and marketing, Southern Recipe Small Batch, Rudolph Foods, Dallas. - Snack Food and Wholesale Bakery

Here are the micro-trends we see in this trend:

• Sparkling Drinks
• Puffy, Crunchy, Popped Snacks

Takeaways

• Shape and form matter when it comes to experiencing flavor; there is an opportunity to experiment with different forms of the same flavor to create unique experiences.
• Classic flavors can be revitalized with the addition of carbonation or a change in texture.
• Healthy ingredients can replace traditional staples by mimicking their texture or form, such as with popped Asian water lily seeds mimicking popcorn.

Let’s collaborate on your next tasty textured innovation. Contact your McCormick account manager or contact us today.