Unique Flavor Trends, Occasions Reflect…

Hundreds of companies at this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo wanted to make one thing clear: If it doesn’t taste good, it’s not worth presenting to the consumer. No matter what the trend reflected on the show floor was — plant-based, reduced sugar or exploring what “better for you” really means — the bottom line is that products that reflect exciting, new, nostalgia-with-a-twist, and enticing flavor combinations are going to be the ones that come out on top.

Valley Occasions
No matter what holiday we celebrate, there is a food — even a flavor — that goes with it. Peppermint reflects the coolness of Christmas; chocolates are the way to our hearts on Valentine’s Day; and pumpkin is the ghoulish flavor of All Hallows’ Eve. And now, with a food holiday that fits almost every day of the calendar year, snack and confectionery makers have the chance to develop “the” flavor of the moment. Or even “the” flavor of the day. Manufacturers are trying to close the gap between seasonal occasions, with the industry inventing their own secondary holidays in hopes to entice consumers to purchase. Further, there are more than three-and-a-half snacking occasions per day, per person in the U.S. alone.