Hops beyond beer and tea from a spray can: Fona lists interesting food trends from October
The Illinois-based flavor company released a list of ’10 Things You Should Know from October 2016,’ compiling interesting food trends from news sources and search engine data that can translate into new product ideas for manufacturers.
Some are trends that have been building for years, while some are interesting product launches that may boom. Here’s a list of six highlights, and you can find the whole list of 10 here:
Goodbye, gluten
According to data from AllRecipes.com, there were over 312,000 searches for gluten free recipes this year leading to October. Is the gluten free category catering more than just the coeliac, and is it a trend that’s here to stay? Well, back in Spring, chief sales and marketing officer of Enjoy Life Foods Joel Warady said it’s staying: “The US gluten-free market is still growing in excess of 25% year on year. Has it slowed down? Absolutely, it was growing at 40% a year, but it’s real, and it’s not going away.”
Turmeric by the glassful
This rhizome has intrigued American consumers a lot this year. It was number three in Search Laboratory’s list of ‘most searched superfoods,’ and has appeared in a variety of products from popcorn to juice to baby food.
In a pickle
According to Fona International, the acidic pickle brine taste is currently the “it” flavor. “From kale chips, popcorn, cashews and even pickle-flavored brine for cocktails—consumers are able to have their favorite snack in more ways than one,” the report said
No more tea bags
British company Yum Cha Drinks thinks it has the solution to end soggy bags, as Reuters reported. As the tea flavor trends, appearing in formats such as trail mix clusters, companies are coming up with novel ways to present tea to consumers, such as Yum Cha Drinks’ aerosol spray can tea.
Ghee whiz
Fats are experiencing a renaissance, and consumer are looking for new sources for it, from tallow to lard to avocado oil. A top contender lately is the South Asian clarified butter known as ghee, and California-based Fourth & Heart is offering American consumers ghee both plain and flavored.
Hops beyond beer
The plant buds that give beers like IPAs their bitter taste are now going onto the plate. “Inventive chefs now use hops to lend piney citrus notes and astringency to mustard, sausages, and beef and beer stew,” the report said.
