Still weary of the pandemic, consumers continue to seek comfort foods that run the gamut from savory to sweet. Now that consumers have invested in home improvement and spiffed up their outdoor spaces, grilling is no longer reserved for summer. Health and wellness continue to be top of mind and gut health is taking center stage. In response to consumers’ continually changing behavior, Comax Flavors has introduced the 2022 Flavor Trends, divided into four different flavor collections. Pizza Pizzazz caters to consumers’ love for pizza while Get Grillin’ addresses consumers’ interest in BBQ flavors. Trust Your Gut taps into consumers’ digestive health journey while Sweet Decadence spotlights consumers’ retreat to comforting sweets. Each Comax Flavor collection is comprised of a variety of food and beverage applications.

Pizza Pizzazz

Pizza has a special place in Americans’ diet and the category is flourishing. According to Mintel, three in four Americans have eaten pizza ordered from a restaurant in 2020, while 58 percent have eaten frozen pizza from a store. Furthermore, 82 percent of U.S. consumers say pizza is one of their favorite comfort foods. The frozen pizza category reached $6.1 billion, up 9 percent for the 52 weeks ending April 18, 2021, according to IRI. “Pizza is a household staple. From crusts to toppings, we are seeing innovation in the category and created the Pizza Pizzazz range,” says Catherine Armstrong, vice president of corporate communications for Comax Flavors. This savory collection can be used in a variety of applications including snacks, crackers, seasoning, coatings, and sauces.

Flavors in this group include: Margherita, Pepperoni, and Sausage.

Get Grillin’

During the pandemic, home goods and home renovations skyrocketed because people were home all day, every day. Outdoor spaces were spiffed up and now grilling is no longer reserved for summer. Between April 2020 to February 2021, sales of grills and smokers increased 39 percent, according to the NPD Group. According to Innova Market Insights, global BBQ flavored food & beverage launches have grown an average of 19 percent between 2015-2019. “Now that people are grilling more, we’ve seen an increased interest in BBQ flavors that are regionally diverse ranging from sweet to smoky. To meet the growing demand, Comax Flavors created the Get Grillin’ collection,” notes Armstrong. This lip-smacking range can be used in a variety of applications including animal-based protein and plant-based alternatives as well as seasonings, coatings, sauces, marinades, and snacks.

Flavors in this group include: Classic BBQ, Smoky Bourbon BBQ, and Korean BBQ.

Trust Your Gut

Once on the fringe, gut and digestive health are now mainstream. Probiotics have been leading the digestive health trend and now prebiotics and postbiotics join the fray. The global probiotics market is estimated to be worth $61.1 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $91.1 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 8.3 percent, according to MarketsandMarkets. Postbiotics have become the fastest growing area in terms of gut health related Google searches, with a nearly 1,300 percent increase in the last two years, according to Lumina Intelligence. “In response to consumers’ interest in microbiome-friendly food and beverage, Comax Flavors created the Trust Your Gut collection,” states Armstrong. This wholesome collection can be used in numerous applications such as non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, beverage syrups, plant-based, and dairy applications, baked goods and confections as well as nutrition and performance products.

Flavors in this group include: Apple Cinnamon Oat, Lavender Cola, and Peach Ginger.

Sweet Decadence

Consumers have not let go of comfort foods and snackable treats. According to a One Poll and Farm Rich study, 2 in 3 Americans reverted to consuming more comfort food since the start of the pandemic, and 69 percent of people say they’ll continue to enjoy the same amount of comfort food that they are now post-pandemic. 26 percent of Americans are craving more baked goods and 28 percent are eating more baked goods, according to a General Mills Foodservice survey conducted by the Harris Poll. “We know sweet goods such as ice cream, donuts, and cupcakes offer nostalgia and comfort. To give consumers indulgent flavors and new experiences, Comax Flavors created the Sweet Decadence range that takes familiar flavors and twists them with unexpected textures and formats,” says Armstrong. This scrumptious line can be used in a variety of applications such as baked goods, nutrition bars, confections, syrup, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, as well as dairy and non-dairy plant-based products..

Flavors in this group include: Cannoli Donut, Salted Caramel Brownie Cupcake, and Vanilla Bean Mochi

For more information, visit Comax’s website here.