We attend many of the important specialty food trade events on the calendar over the course of the year, and look for exceptional new products. This year specialty food producers and importers have rolled out many new products, some of which had been on hold during the pandemic. Once we have a chance to take it all in, we can better understand trends that are continuing to drive specialty foods as well as recognizing new and emerging trends that are gaining traction with consumers.
This has been a big year for the travel industry, with many key travel days setting new records for TSA screening. Many of those travelers were destined for international locations where they will experience new cultures and new and interesting foods and flavors. A natural extension of these experiences is that awareness of the unique foods of the world grows, and there is a natural tendency for consumers to want to recreate these experiences in their own homes by learning the recipes, ingredients, and techniques that are readily available in the media and accessible with technology. As Americans tastes have continued to evolve and become more sophisticated, the demand for authentic flavors (not Americanized versions) has grown. Specialty food marketers are recognizing this trend, and responding by using more traditional recipes and flavors to reproduce the foods in America, or by importing authentic foods and spices from their origins. The ready made sauces and spice mixes that are coming to market are more authentic than ever and include ingredients that still may be hard to find or correctly balance to obtain the right flavor. These products save time, and help satisfy the demand for meals with interesting and exotic flavors.
Now that Americans are returning to the office, work from home lunches are being replaced once again with easily portable, nutritious, and satisfying snacks that can help bridge the hunger gaps between bigger meals. The snack category has heeded the demand for better for you products and is doing their best to create snacks that are enticing while also having some beneficial and wholesome ingredients.
The trend toward healthier food formulations and ingredients has also influenced the new products coming to market that can improve the quality of ingredients being used to produce meals or products that are created to flavor or enhance the finished meal.
On the following pages we have chosen a unique collection of new products that seem to exemplify these strong trends, and deserve consideration to any specialty food retailer that is seeking to evolve their current assortment.
