The clean-label and better-for-you products are moving from a niche marketplace and into the mainstream at a rapid rate. The ingredients for these new formations often have special needs, including the need for clean label bitter blockers, flavor maskers, flavor potentiators, and flavor extenders.
In a recent report published by market research firm Packaged Facts, “Dairy & Egg Alternatives: Outlook for Plant-Based & Cell-Cultured Consumer Products,” it was forecast that sales of plant-based dairy and egg products will continue to rise at an average annual rate of 6.0%, reaching $5.2 billion by 2024.
Product developers have turned to cuisine cultures ranging from Eastern Europe to Turkey to North Africa to bring greater variety, and nutrition, to the humble noodle dish
The next wave of pasta products boasts a world’s worth of influences and a host of new nutritional benefits, all introduced through ingredients novel to noodles and largely nonexistent in the pasta and prepared pasta meal spaces. Exploring beyond Italian and Asian, product developers have turned to cuisine cultures ranging from Eastern Europe to Turkey to North Africa to bring greater variety, and nutrition, to the humble noodle dish.
Beverage makers appeal to consumers with products that contain vitamins and minerals, protein (plant or dairy), botanicals, tea, tea extracts, probiotics, prebiotics, and fiber
Today’s consumers are rarely satisfied with just a thirst-quenching drink when they crave a beverage. They’re seeking healthful extras that target everything from immunity to mood issues, from energy to meal replacement. And of course, they want plenty of flavor with few calories.
Over the past decade, the cheese industry has exploded, with small-batch artisanal cheesemakers popping up in every state and the large cheesemakers increasing the sophistication of their offerings to compete. As specialty cheeses become more popular, their manufacturing processes become more streamlined, mechanized, and efficient.
Adding fruit to formulations has become not only easier, but more exciting with the continuously expanding variety of fruits to choose from and the near disappearance of seasonality
Adding fruit to formulations has become not only easier, but more exciting with the continuously expanding variety of fruits to choose from and the near disappearance of seasonality. When it comes to product formulation, developers can choose from a multitude of fruit-derived ingredients and types, including whole or prepped; fresh or frozen; freeze-dried, dehydrated, or puréed; and concentrates, juices, or powders.
Whether assembling kits themselves at a local meal kit assembly shop, signing up for a subscription service online, or picking up a kit from their local supermarket, consumers show no signs of abandoning this time-saving meal option.
From large food conglomerates to boutique artisanal companies, product developers are creating higher-end products designed specifically for quick preparation, such as cooking in a microwave.
Call them bits, pieces, inclusions, mix-ins, or add-ins, inclusions bring both flavor and textural elements to foods. Color, too, can make it to the show by way of inclusions.