While a number of health watchdogs have pointed out that Americans still fail to eat enough produce, according to a 2021 survey by the CDC, more than two-thirds (67.3%) of adults aged 20 and above eat fruit “on a given day,” with fruit consumption about 10% higher among women—70.5%—than among men (63.8%).

In its “Top Trends 2023” report earlier this year, Innova Market Insights revealed that today’s consumer “is increasingly invested in the source of food as it ties in with major global concerns of health, sustainability and waste.”

In another recent Innova survey, the group noted that “the attitude among Gen Z attitude towards health and wellness is driving the development of products with unique flavor offerings that align with health appeal, such as botanical soft drinks and plant-based foods.” The study found that among “flavors that align with wellness,” Gen Z respondents chose products with flavors that helped them to feel cheerful or happy, relaxed or calm, and comforted, with fruit flavors being one of the most “popular options for meeting these emotional needs.”

Product makers take note

With multiple market watchdogs forecasting steady growth of the fruit ingredient market at around 5% for the next five years (and within that, the organic fruit ingredients pacing slightly higher), analysts at Markets and Markets Research, Ltd. pointed out the synergy between this high growth and the “high growth in the processed food and beverage industry.”

In a recently released report, the group highlighted that, with people “now more concerned about the food they’re consuming,” and driven by the well-known jump in health problems to “focus on non-GMO, organic, chemical-free, and clean-label products for better health.” The study authors added that “these factors developed a wider scope for fruit and vegetable-based ingredients to be used in the place of artificial colors and flavors.”

While beverages and other drinkable products remain the most popular products using fruit-ingredients, research chefs have expanded their use of fruit not only in sweet products but in savory formulations as well. To find out more about the use of fruit ingredients in new product development, David Feder, Executive Editor-Technical for Prepared Foods interviewed research chef and consultant John Csukor. Mr. Csukor is the Senior Director and Head of Culinary for North America for the full-service food service agency Entegra Performance Kitchen and also a U.S. Marine veteran. A graduate of both Johnson & Wales University and the Culinary Institute of America, he has more than 20 years of experience in foodservice culinary creation. His expert insight can be listened to in the podcast below or viewed in the video above.