The first quarter of the year is up and here at Plant-Ex our 2024 has gotten off to an excellent start! Over the past few months, our team has been working hard to bring to life a range of innovative flavours to help you stay ahead of the 2024 trends. Keep reading for a sneak peek into some of our new sweet and savoury flavours…
Sweet Flavours
Sweet Cinnamon – Sweet and Spicy – this tangy taste is a delicious addition to sweet treats. Cinnamon is one of the Top 10 flavours for Sweet Biscuits and Cookies (Innova Database). Other top applications for this trending taste are Seasonings, Cereal and Tea; Sweet Cinnamon works as an excellent flavour pairing thanks to its delicate spiced flavour profile (see Figure 1 for the top flavour pairings). Overall, sweet cinnamon offers the perfect opportunity for food and beverage innovation in time for an autumn season launch!
Pecan Nut – This flavour is so delicious it is sure to drive you nuts! With a sweet profile, pecan nut flavour excels in the Bakery, Cereals, Confectionery and Dessert & Ice Cream categories. Pecan Nut is a hit with consumers, with 9 in 10 stating that they are interested in purchasing products using them (Datassential 2022). Finally, the beauty of our nut flavourings is that they are nut-free so allergen-safe!
Prickly Pear Juice Powder – Prickly Pear is a gorgeously unique and sophisticated flavour, often compared to watermelon with a hint of kiwi or even bubblegum. This flavour is on the rise with a growth of +39.16% in Gummies/Jelly Products and +16.12% in Cakes, Pastries and Sweet Goods over the past 5 years. Prickly Pear really excels in the beverage category, with alcoholic and soft drink beverages being where the flavour can most often be found on the shelves. (Innova Database).
Hibiscus – Floral flavours have been identified as the top flavour trend by Innova (2024), hence the rise of hibiscus. Hibiscus is a growing flavour thanks to the benefits associated with the plant; the flower is packed with anti-oxidants making the flavour synonymous with health and calmness. This flavour pairs beautifully with exotic and citrus fruits such as peach, pineapple or orange. Why not try it in a tea, mocktail, cider or cake?
Savoury Flavours
Peri Peri Salt – Fiery and Tangy – Although it has been popular over recent years, Peri Peri continues to grow as a flavour that consumers reach for more and more, with a global +34.51% CAGR over the past 2 years (Innova Database). Top Applications include Table & Cooking Sauces, Seasonings, Poultry and Snack Nuts & Seeds, demonstrating exceptional growth in some of these categories (see Figure 2). But this flavour is not limited only to these categories, why not try Peri Peri Salt Crisps, Chips or Instant Noodles?
Spicy Sausage (Nduja) – Global Flavours have been identified as a Top 5 flavour trend for 2024 (Innova, 2024), with 2 in 3 consumers stating that they are open to new global cuisines. The pandemic saw consumers experimenting with flavours at home, and as life returns to ‘normal’, consumers find themselves busier than before but still desiring exciting tastes with convenience (Innova, 2023). Our Spicy Sausage (Nduja) flavour captures the taste of Italy and would be a sensational edition to a cooking or table sauce!
Jerk BBQ – With the smokiness of the BBQ and the spicy kick of Jerk seasoning, this flavour brings a rich and complex profile to any product. Playing on the classic Jamaican flavour this product has perfect application in Seasonings, Cooking and Table Sauces; or try a more innovative take such as on chips, crisps or baked beans!
Beverage Flavours
Cherry Cola – Nostalgic Flavours have been identified as a flavour trend for 2024 by Innova, and the stats reflect this with +11.1% CAGR, excelling particularly in the Confectionery, Soft Drinks and Sports Nutrition Categories! Figure 3 shows the categories where Cherry Cola flavour is showing the most growth. The beauty of nostalgic flavours is that they will always evoke excitement in consumers and this cherrylicious flavour is no different! Our Cherry Cola flavour goes perfectly in sweets, ice lollies, clear whey protein shakes or cocktails.
Rum Flavour – With 21% of UK adults not drinking alcohol as more and more of us take crucial steps to prioritise our health (Drink Aware, 2023), alcoholic flavours are on the rise; in fact, low and no alcohol beverages have a CAGR of +20.67%. This trend is driven by the younger generations, with Gen Z being the most likely to opt for the no-alcohol alternatives (Drink Aware, 2023). But this flavour isn’t just perfect for beverages, it also pairs beautifully with other flavours like raisin or coconut to be enjoyed in chocolate confectionery or ice cream products.
Pina Colada – This cocktail flavour is a favourite amongst consumers as it brings the tropical taste of the Puerto Rican beach to wherever you are in the world. The top flavour applications include flavoured Alcoholic Beverages, Sports Powders and Drink Concentrates & Mixes (Innova Database). We offer the perfect balance of tangy pineapple, nutty coconut and caramelised rum in this versatile flavour, perfect for confectionery, frozen desserts, beverages and many more…
To request a sample of any of our flavours please email sales@plant-ex.com
Sources
Datassential (2022) Custom Research fielded November 2022, an online survey of 1,500 consumers representing the general population
Drink Aware (2023) Alcohol Consumption UK
Innova Database
Innova (2023) Flavor Renaissance: Unveiling the Exciting World of Emerging Tastes in Europe
Innova (2024) Global Flavour Trends 2024
