Trends

According to the Specialty Food Association, the Summer Fancy Food Show is North America’s largest trade show for the specialty food industry. As such, it is the perfect place to scope out what sorts of new tastes are being explored by brands, and what trends are emerging as a result. Here are the top seven flavor trends that we noticed after attending last week:

Meat-Free

From eggless mayonnaise to fish-less fish cakes (which are made up primarily of beans), vegan products were out in full force this year. As more consumers become aware of the environmental ramifications of meat cultivation, meatless alternatives are gaining a lot of attention.

With the push for more protein-rich goods that are free of animal products, we were surprised at how few brands were incorporating insects into their food. Known to be full of protein, not unpleasantly flavored, and far more eco-friendly than livestock, insect-enriched products would have seemingly fit right in at this show. It feels like every year we say that consumers are close to embracing the idea of eating insects, yet once again it appears that the industry still isn’t feeling the love.

Veggie Snacking

Not so surprisingly, vegetable-based snacks continue to serve as a substitute for fatty products like potato chips and pretzels. Crunchy brussels sprouts, popped lotus seeds, seaweed crisps, and beet crackers all offer consumers easy ways to bring more vegetables into their diet without sacrificing snacktime.

Notably, vegetables are now being combined with more sweet treats – Biena, for example, won a Sofi prize for their roasted chickpeas covered in caramel and chocolate. Several other brands showed up with some variation of sweetened sesame bars, which could be an alternative to granola.

Coconut

Coconut sugar, coconut clusters, even coconut-flavored cheese – everywhere you turned, somebody had figured out a new thing to do with coconuts. Many of these products were honored with Sofi awards, particularly those that are intended for snacking, like World Finer Foods’ GoCo Crunchy Coconut Bites.

Spiced and Textured Beverages

We first anticipated the spiced drink trend back when Pepsico announced their limited edition Pepsi Fire flavor. Our prediction was confirmed when the most beloved non-Starbucks drink on Instagram, Blk. Water, came to the Fancy Food Show with somewhat savory new flavors like “Spicy Black Cherry” and “Peach Mango Basil”. One of the busiest booths at the show was relative newcomer H2rOse, a beverage brand that infuses water with roses and saffron.

The show also featured a range of textured beverages, with several aloe drink, puree, and chia seed drink brands in attendance. Aloe-based beverages are often a little thicker than a traditional juice, with variations in “globiness” depending on brand. As soda sales slip, unique drinks like these have an opportunity to expand their market.

Beets

Last year, the Los Angeles Times reported that beets were going to be the next major superfood, and the trend has continued into 2017. Not only do beets give products an exciting, eye-catching color – which is helpful for standing out at an event like the Fancy Food Show, which features thousands upon thousands of options – they also are rich in antioxidants and nutrients. Love Beets came to the show with a variety of beet products, including organic beet juice and a mixable beet powder.

Cold Soup

Tio Gazpacho and Fawen are just two of the cold, drinkable soup brands that presented at this year’s show. With the beverage industry starting to pull away from sugar and playing with savory flavors, it makes sense that vegetable-heavy drinks would shine.

Allergy-Sensitive Products

In addition to all of the meat-free products at the show, a number of brands came with gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free snacks and beverages for intolerant consumers. New Jersey company No Whey! Foods presented an assortment of popular candy alternatives, like “Pea NOT Cups”, chocolate cups filled with sunflower seed butter rather than peanut butter. Many of the products in this category are also vegan and/or kosher, and incorporate other trendy ingredients like coconuts and agave.