On March 13, hundreds of professionals from across the bakery and snack fields joined their colleagues online for “Current Trends in Colors and Flavors,” a webinar tackling consumer behavior and preferences, and the ways they drive the existing and emerging products in the space.

The online event—led by Sally Lyons Wyatt, executive vice president and practice leader for CPG and foodservice with Circana—took a look at the colors most likely to grab shoppers’ eyes, the flavors with the most notable chance of stoking their appetite, and what the snack and bakery landscape might look (and taste) like in the near future. The webinar is now archived and available for viewing on demand.

Colors

People all around the world are feeling anxious, stressed, even exhausted by the current state of the world. Bakery and snack producers, it turns out, have an opportunity to resonate with these harried consumers by offering items that possess flavors and colors with the power to move them. As Lyons Wyatt pointed out, the majority (61%) of consumers are looking for products and brands that deliver intense emotions.

“In addition, we found that 83% of consumers seek out experiences that bring joy and happiness,” Lyons Wyatt noted.

Recent findings from GNT (the sponsor of the online event) and ADM indicate consumers associate colors on products and packaging with specific emotions and attributes. For example, ADM found certain colors have the power to bring to mind nostalgia, health benefits, affordability, and unconventional traits. GNT’s findings, which centered on Gen Z, found that consumers tend to associate pastel colors with health benefits, and blues and purples with functional benefits.

Flavors

Lyons Wyatt shared that consumers overall still tend to reach for familiar flavors, such as chocolate, peanut, honey, cinnamon, hot pepper, and BBQ. However, that strong preference for tried-and-true flavors is declining over time, and consumers (especially younger generations) are showing a taste for adventure. This includes combinations and variations involving the long-standing popular flavors—i.e. spicy Mexican chocolate, sweet chili, and Carolina and honey BBQ.

“I do see that more and more where manufacturers are taking some bold moves to fuse different flavors together that might be unlikely candidates,” Lyons Wyatt remarked. “I think that that is going to be something we continue to see more of.”

Lyons Wyatt also observed that the trend toward foodservice leading the way in flavor and color trends continues. She added that the ingredients, colors, and flavor innovations taking menus by storm today likely will continue to influence the new products we see on snack and bakery shelves tomorrow.

“Current Trends in Colors and Flavors” can be reviewed on demand here.