Taste remains a key driver in consumer food purchases. According to the 2018 IFIC "Food and Health Survey," taste was rated the No. 1 factor, with 81 percent of consumers stating taste impacts their decisions. Consumers still seek nostalgic, familiar flavors, but also flavors that appeal to their adventurous side.
It's important to be able to trace the movements of a product or ingredient that requires refrigerated or frozen transport or storage throughout its life cycle, and this is where cold chain technology comes into play.
For a culture focused on convenience and clean-label nutrition, bars continue to deliver. Sales of snack and granola bars on the whole have grown 2.9 percent during the 52 weeks ending October 7, 2018, according to data from IRI, Chicago, hitting a value of $6.2 billion.
When it comes to snack and bakery products that feature dairy ingredients, consumers are demanding flavor innovations, as well as clean label and environmentally friendly dynamics.
In 2015, Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery launched the “Best New Snack & Bakery Products” contest to honor outstanding products recently launched in the U.S. snack and bakery market.
Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery recently got the chance to speak with Melissa Trimmer, corporate chef and senior manager at Otis Spunkmeyer, about some upcoming food trends for 2019.