Kerry taste charts 2020: “The lines between categories are blurring,” getting specific on flavor origin

08 Jan 2020 --- Taste and nutrition company Kerry has released its 2020 European taste charts, which represent the company’s annual review of the F&B landscape utilizing consumer trends, foodservice influences and internal culinary and mixology expertise to predict tastes for the coming year. Kerry’s latest predictions forecast that 2020 will bring further specificity to the origin of flavors and ingredients as consumers continue to seek tastes that delight, surprise and excite them.

In Europe, although ethnic cuisines such as Thai or Japanese have grown to a point of proliferation in the market, a refreshed idea of the tastes associated with these regions has developed as consumers become more adventurous, developing and expanding their palette, notes Kerry. 

Sweet chili and soy sauce are no longer flavors that consumers look to for authenticity of Asian food. Instead, specific profiles such as palm sugar and sweet basil now deliver the nostalgia of Thailand, with tamari, nori and miso allowing them to recreate the Japanese taste experience.

“There are a few drivers of this trend (blurring lines), but Snackification is certainly a key influencer as the line between snacking and meals become increasingly blurred. Last year, Kerry’s Insights team discovered that traditional three meals a day has expanded to five consumption occasions (Kerry Discovery 2019). As lifestyles get busier it means that consumers are moving away from the traditional ways of eating and drinking, and with that, open to trying unconventional ways of experiencing taste,” Leigh Anne Vaughan, Global Strategic Marketing Director for Taste at Kerry, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

 “As consumers grow accustomed to experiencing a new range of tastes at different times of the day, we can expect to see spice profiles within the Sweet category, Bakery and Dessert profiles within Beverages and Sweet and Alcohol profiles in Salty Snacks.”

“We see alcohol flavors such as tequila and Cointreau in Sweet categories, and bakery-inspired flavors such as brownie and red velvet in dairy beverages. There is endless room for innovation in this space as manufacturers draw inspiration rethinking how mainstream flavors are applied in new categories. We’re more frequently seeing this across the Charts, where familiar flavors are being seen in the Up & Coming and Emerging pillars – it makes for really exciting product development,” adds Vaughan.

Kerry releases its 2020 taste charts.Going beyond flavor
The aim of Kerry’s Taste Charts is to provide the industry and its customers with a proprietary view into the flavors and ingredients shaping the taste market across sweet, beverage, savory and snacks. The company says it is on a constant quest to discover and translate the best taste experiences from nature’s high-quality ingredients. 

Customers can leverage Kerry’s expertise in food and beverage including its taste knowledge and portfolio, to create differentiated products with the tastes consumers desire, that go beyond flavor. 

Kerry’s predictions consider flavors and ingredients that are here to stay, as well as flavors and ingredients set to make waves in the industry.

In the Sweet category, apricot, blueberry, chili, cinnamon, grapefruit, marzipan, nut, stracciatella, toffee and yogurt are some of the key trending ingredients. Up and coming tastes include alcoholic flavors such as gin, margarita and rum and banana, elderflower, spices such as cardamom and peppercorn, and herbs including basil, lavender and rosemary. Emerging tastes here include lemon curd, Mizo, Szechuan and quark. 

In the Europe Taste Chart 2020 Savory category biryani, beetroot, cheese (Herder and Goat’s Cheese), chimichurri, chutney, cumin, Kimchi, sage, miso and nduja are among the up and coming tastes. While ancho pepper, buckwheat, game, turnip and venison are also emerging tastes. 

In Beverages (dairy and hot), spirulina, spice, rosemary and rhubarb are tipped as up and coming, while blood orange, caraway, cucumber, fenugreek, gingko, marjoram and papaya are all flavor notes that are emerging. 

“For Sweet, we are seeing savory flavors becoming more established within the category, with profiles such as Herbs and Spices moving from emerging into the up and coming category within the Charts. This speaks to how manufacturers are looking to work around sugar reduction through flavor innovation, and also how consumers’ mindsets are moving towards less sweet profiles,” Vaughan adds.

“We are also seeing alcohol profiles playing a role within the Sweet and Salty Snacks categories as manufacturers are delivering flavors in new and exciting ways to meet the sensorial expectations of consumers.”

 In Water & Cold Beverages category, the charts clearly show how Health & Wellness translates into Taste. We’re seeing profiles such as chamomile and hibiscus – traditionally associated with tea – appearing in the water category, as consumers want to move away from traditional soft drinks but also want to have a positive taste experience.

Kerry’s Taste Charts come as consumers are on a large-scale, broad journey of discovery, moving out of their comfort zones to explore new food and beverage experiences, with flavor playing a major part in this. The search for something new, different and exciting is also driving flavor developments in food and beverages. Adventurous and reimagined options are sought by trend-conscious consumers, who also enjoy an element of surprise on their plates and palates.

This theme is also illustrated by the fact that six out of ten US and UK respondents in an Innova Market Insights survey agreed with a statement that they love to discover flavors of other cultures, although there is also ongoing activity in products of more local origin, with local ingredients and local recipes.

Adapting to this trend, brands are also increasingly launching mystery flavors, as well as reinventing classics with novel twists, alongside developing new and more unusual flavors and combinations. This year will surely see some very interesting NPD across all food and beverage categories. 

By Gaynor Selby