September 2023 Newsletter
Meeting Needs for Daypart-Driven Flavors
Although many foods and beverages are versatile sources of nutrition, refreshment, and enjoyment throughout the day, people do have expectations about breakfast, lunch, snacks, and desserts. Our daypart-driven flavor insights can help you discover innovation ideas that align with preferences.
Get inspired and informed by reading FlavorSum’s monthly newsletter!
Blog
What’s for Breakfast: Trends and Insights to Inspire Innovation
If we ask you, “What’s the most important meal of the day?” chances are you’d say breakfast! The morning meal serves as the cornerstone for the day, offering a chance to end the lengthy overnight fast. Since the breakfast daypart has deep cultural roots and familiar favorites, discovering food and beverage innovation opportunities for breakfast can seem daunting. But we’re up for the challenge!
We’ve turned to insights to help you find ways to connect with breakfast consumers by exploring innovation pathways in breakfast food, including:
- Top breakfast subcategories
- Fastest growing breakfast subcategories
- Behaviors that can influence breakfast innovation
- Trends and popular flavors in breakfast foods
Blog
What’s for Lunch: Trends and Insights to Inspire Innovation
Breakfast might be ‘the most important meal of the day,’ but lunch holds significance for many people, too:
- 94% of employees feel happier with a lunch break during the workday because they have time to take a step back and get a fresh perspective.
- More than 9 in 10 workers and managers agree that a mid-day break is important to maintaining their mental focus, and most return to work feeling refreshed and re-energized.
- Most employees say they are more likely to stay at a company where bosses encourage them to take a lunch break.
Despite the prioritization of lunch, the definition of the midday break is evolving. The noontime meal is shifting into mini meals and snacks throughout the middle hours of the day. Discover lunch trends and desired experiences such as nostalgia, budget-friendliness, and frozen meals that can help you connect with people who prioritize midday eats.
BLOG
Innovation Evolution: Taking Snacking to The Next Level
For developers hoping to captivate consumer interest, the world of snacks represents a unique and diverse segment within the world of food and beverage. No matter the daypart, snacks play a role. The appeal of snacking gives food and beverage manufacturers a unique opportunity for creative innovation.
Read our blog on snacking trends to explore:
- Habits that influence snacking trends
- Generational variances in snacking experiences
- Innovation opportunities in snacking
- Flavor trends in top snack subcategories
BLOG
Innovation Evolution: The Next Generation of Delectable Desserts
The boundaries of what’s considered a “dessert” have always been expansive, but with blurred definitions for meal occasions, people have more options for the sweet pause we call dessert. Recent innovations include creative formats, like plant-based alternatives, permissible treats, and convenience packaging.
In our recent blog on the topic, our team explored creative formats and ideas in depth. Click the link below to discover trending flavors in top dessert subcategories, including:
- Cakes, pastries, and sweet goods
- Dairy-based ice cream and frozen yogurt
- Plant-based ice cream and frozen yogurt
- Chilled desserts
- Water-based ice lollies, pops, and sorbets
Image Credit: Confectionery News
Supply Chain Corner
Possible Sugar Shortages Ahead of Halloween
Halloween is right around the corner, and you likely know what that means. Candy production, sales, and consumption are about to ramp up in a major way! But what is candy without sugar? In a recent article from Confectionery News, the publication raises concerns about a potential sugar shortage that may overlap the 2023 Halloween season.
What is the cause of the possible shortage? The publication notes that “the root of the problem lies with US agriculture policy, which requires at least 85% of domestic sugar purchases to come from domestic process.” And while this seems good on paper, the policy is leading to supply and price challenges. The National Confectioners Association (NCA) says that some American businesses are paying twice as much for sugar as competitors from outside the US.
You can read more from Confectionery News.
Image Credit: EuroNews
Regulatory Corner
MIT Experts Say Labeling Change is the Way to Plant-Based Adoption
Animal agriculture may account for an estimated 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions. (The AP) But despite awareness of the link between animals and emissions, people are still slow to adopt vegan or vegetarian lifestyles. MIT PhD student Alex Berke and director of the City Science Group at the university, Kent Larson, sought to understand why people have a complicated relationship with plant-based alternatives. In their pursuit, the pair published a paper entitled “The negative impact of vegetarian and vegan labels.” They found that the answer may be as simple as labeling.
The relatively simple study tested the same offerings in a food establishment, one with a vegan label and one without. They found that vegan labeling resulted in far fewer selections. Berke and Larson note that “removing these labels may provide an extremely simple and low-cost means for restaurants and other institutions to reduce their environmental impact, with minimal changes to menus, and without impacting consumers’ freedom of choice.”
Read more from EuroNews.
Stay Informed with FlavorSum Discover
Are you looking for new ways to spark inspiration in your specific food or beverage category? Gain access to trends, consumer behavior and attitude shifts, and flavor news by signing up for FlavorSum Discover. You’ll receive insights from our experts, including our weekly blog, monthly newsletter, on-demand webinars, and more.
FlavorSum Team News
Celebrating our Growing Team
FlavorSum continues to bring in the talent and expertise to help you achieve your food and beverage development goals. Your success is a top priority at FlavorSum, and our team commits to doing what’s right for your brand every day.
We welcomed the following people to FlavorSum in September:
-
-
Eric B. – Production
-
Melissa R. – Finance
-
Jessica J. – Analytical
-
Courtney P. – Production
-
Zackeri H. – Production
-
Hannah K. – Production
-
Visit our Careers page to learn about new opportunities on the FlavorSum team
How would you rate our insights?
In the October issue of FlavorSum Insights:
2024 Food and Beverage Predictions
Are you following us? Let’s Connect and Share Daily Flavor News!
Past Issues
August 2023
The Latest ‘Cool’ Trends in Functional Beverage
July 2023
Trends, News, and Updates from IFT FIRST 2023
June 2023
What’s Happening with Bakery, Beverage, Confection, and Dairy Product Innovation?