"We're so excited to bring a flavor that is loved by so many to our Blue Diamond snack portfolio," said Maya Erwin, vice president, Marketing & Innovation, Blue Diamond Growers. "We’re always looking for new ways to incorporate trending flavors into our products, and with Ranch, we hope our customers feel inspired to take their taste buds to a new level of deliciousness.”

Churro Chocolate Caliente Palomitaz Popcorn swirls together the Mexican flavor pairing of hot chocolate and churros into one recipe.

Motif FoodWorks, the ingredient innovation company on a mission to make plant-based food taste better and more nutritious, announced the grand opening of its new lab and office space in the Boston Seaport neighborhood, a growing hub for science and technology innovation.

If 2020 was the year of supply chain uncertainty due to COVID-19, 2021 may well be the year that transparency in food labeling takes center stage, particularly for gluten-free products.

The Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS), is a new 501(c)(3) organization focused on catalyzing science for the benefit of public health.

By expanding its capabilities to address the growing consumer interest in functional beverages, the company is poised to offer partners and customers the opportunity to meet consumer needs and expectations while embracing current food and beverage trends and advancements in the market.

Tate & Lyle, a global provider of food and beverage solutions and ingredients, introduced the “Collaborate at Home Kitchen”, a digital engagement hub where food and beverage manufacturers can explore trends, science and solutions that power modern consumer choices. The hub also provides users with access to Tate & Lyle’s experts, as well as additional resources to help them find solutions to their formulation challenges.

ADM opened a new cutting-edge, plant-based innovation lab, located in ADM’s Biopolis research hub in Singapore. The lab will develop next-level, on-trend and nutritious products to meet growing food and beverage demand in the Asia-Pacific region.  

Although there may be a pandemic-related slowdown, there’s no stopping new product development. To help readers with new product development strategy, Prepared Foods asked Dave Lundahl, founder of InsightsNow, to create a thought leadership series connecting R&D with consumer insights. 

In conjunction with its February profile of new sports foods and drinks, Prepared Foods interviewed Scott Peters, director of product development at 3i Solutions, Wooster, Ohio. 

Five new types of Tradición tortillas include Fajita, Soft Yellow Corn Tortillas, Soft White Corn Tortillas, Burrito Flour Tortillas and Soft Taco Flour Tortillas

Combining Claussen’s tangy flavor with Baked by Melissa’s famous handcrafted cupcakes, these bite-sized delights feature a dill pickle-infused cake and pickle buttercream icing complete with festive red and white sprinkles on top.

Attendees are invited to visit booth #S412 where Kemin is introducing the Virtual Shelf—a new interactive tool, and team experts will discuss the company’s ever-expanding suite of ingredient solutions that can help manufacturers keep foods fresher, safer, for longer.

With 88 calories per 12oz serving, the new Lime, Cranberry, and Pineapple flavors are made up of real fruit, and premium spirits with ultra-purified water at an ABV (alcohol by volume) of just 4.5%.

Chunk Foods creates plant-based whole cuts that rival traditional meats in taste and texture, offering consumers a versatile option for at-home preparation.

The final packaging contains at least 60% UCO-based bio-renewable polymer material, which is part of SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio. Oerlemans Plastics member of OPACKGROUP, a specialized manufacturer of flexible films and packaging, converts these polymers to a multilayer PE film for Lamb Weston’s pre-fried frozen potato products.

This tool is expected to transform the process of fragrance creation across various industries by leveraging Giuseppe, NotCo’s advanced generative AI platform, alongside Cramer’s extensive database of tens of thousands of fragrance formulations, enabling the rapid development of premium fragrances in seconds.

Physically active consumers want convenient, protein-packed options to fit into their on-the-go routine. “Plant-powered” ready-to-drink (RTD) and ready-to-mix (RTM) protein beverages are emerging as a perfect solution to fill this niche nutrition category and grow into the mainstream market.

The Kearney Private Label Report shows an industry with the wind at its back, with positive demographic trends, category proliferation that fills in gaps in national brands’ portfolios, the quality-to-value equation being increasingly recognized by shoppers, and a strong potential boost to retailer economics. 

There is some indication that “pickle flavor” is experiencing its highest search interest in years. Perhaps that has led to such an explosion of pickle-flavor products on the market in summer 2024.

We’ve pinpointed four flavors for 2025, each representing opportunity for differentiation while aligning with larger, sustaining trends. As we see them take shape on restaurant menus, each also promises opportunity in the retail space, offering a parallel path for consumer exploration and adoption. 

Each year, the fall season ushers in hundreds of new and limited-time offer introductions to retail and foodservice channels. It would be a fool's errand to list all of the products featuring fall flavors in 2024, but Prepared Foods has compiled a list of some of the most compelling examples.

Founded in 1983, Ancient Harvest pioneered the sale of quinoa in the US and continues to be a leading brand of value-added, plant-based products including gluten-free pasta, polenta and a brand of quinoa. 

The role of chocolate is growing and expanding from the classic sweet confections to combinations of sweet and spicy as well as in savory products.

This summer’s Sweets & Snack Expo in Indianapolis drew more than 16,000 attendees and 1,000 exhibitors, from 25 countries. The trends I noticed involve lots of activity around texture—including freeze-dried candies and crunchy and chewy protein snacks. There also are intriguing new flavors in snacks and chips. 

Like all YumEarth treats, the sour bites are free from of the top 9 allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, gluten, shellfish, soy, and sesame), contain no artificial dyes, are non- GMO, and made with organic and simple ingredients.

Wild Berry to Coolmint brings together the best of both fruity and minty flavors, while Wintergreen to Coolmint offers a double hit of two popular mint flavors for the ultimate refreshing taste.

A pilot program brings together financial support from Kellanova, Ahold Delhaize USA, and Bartlett to aid wheat farmers in North Carolina who are adopting regenerative agricultural methods. The wheat from these farms will be combined with conventionally grown wheat to produce Cheez-It® crackers.

Last Crumb’s head baker and co-founder acquired fresh ube (a sweet potato variety characterized by its bright purple color) directly from the Philippines (the country his family hails from) to produce the items. The newest cookie harnesses the sweet, nutty richness of ube, with no food dyes.

The concept for this snack was born in the Myna Snacks Lab, a unique platform that invites our passionate community of snack enthusiasts to share their ideas, preferences, and cravings.

“If your company manufactures yogurt or other cultured dairy products—such as frozen yogurt and kefir—and you are interested in using the LAC Seal on your products, IDFA is now making it easier than ever to obtain the seal for use on product packaging and labels, demonstrating to consumers and other customers that your products contain valuable live and active yogurt cultures,” said John Allan, IDFA vice president of regulatory affairs and administrator of the IDFA’s LAC Seal program. “The LAC Seal is the best way to reach consumers with this unique health and wellness attribute.”

Amano Enzyme experts are also presenting as part of the official IFT FIRST 2024 education program. Monica Henry, Scientist at Amano Enzyme, is presenting the session, “Improvement of Physical Properties in High Protein Plant-Based Cheese with Enzymatic Treatment,” on Tuesday, July 16, at 12:00 p.m. CDT. 

Beleaf® PlantBetter is the answer to the complexities faced by food manufacturers and bakers seeking plant-based alternatives that match the sensory qualities and versatile functionality of traditional dairy butter and can easily be integrated in their current production process.

The FDA’s GRAS notification signifies transparency, ensures safety for food manufacturers and is essential for all manufacturers to produce in or export to the North American market. 

Planteneers’ new space can host customers for collaborative product development sessions with a full plant-based meat laboratory and a plant-based dairy laboratory (coming online soon-). The Aurora building also houses sales, distribution, marketing, product managers and R&D team members.

The everything bagel flavor category is growing 20 times faster than other cheese flavors, however, most everything bagel flavored products on the market are limited to the cracker, chip and pretzel categories. The Laughing Cow Everything Bagel Style is a unique option for fans to enjoy the cheese wedges in a new way.

The Cookie Granola marries the brand's granola with its cookie recipe for a snackable granola cluster that has the flavor and crispy texture of a cookie.

This new syrup, developed with Dunkin' culinary experts, mirrors the sweet vanilla flavor notes of a fried glazed donut. 

This innovative product provides consumers with a rich and creamy texture, similar to Icelandic Provisions traditional dairy skyr, with 12g of protein and simple plant-based ingredients.

Tropical Trio is JAMBAR’s fifth flavor, and its first new flavor since the company launched in late 2021. In addition to the three vegan fruit flavors, JAMBAR also offers two bars that contain whey protein – Chocolate Cha Cha and Malt Nut Melody.

Kettle Brand is diving into the rich and complex world of the popular Korean pepper paste, with a burst of sweet and spicy flavor in each chip.

Javid brings more than three decades of experience in the food and beverage industry to his new role at Atlas. 

Each carton contains eight, individually-wrapped chewy granola bars for on-the-go snacking, entertaining, and lunchbox pairings. 

The addition of these two new items is building on Belgian Boys' core assortment of breakfast offerings: Belgian Waffles, Crepes, and Bite-Sized Pancakes.

Amy's puts an innovative twist on morning classics, swapping eggs for their signature house-made tofu: a nutritious and protein-packed egg alternative.

Inflammation was already a concern for consumers as research established systemic inflammation as a significant participant in disease states ranging from obesity, diabetes, and CVD to infirmities of aging and even declines in energy and cognition. Then the global pandemic hit and the perils of inflammation moved further into the spotlight.

The vitamin and electrolyte-packed drink mix, made for on-the-go convenience with added immunity-boosting ingredients like additional Vitamin C, Zinc and Elderberry, boasts only 2g of sugar and 20 calories per single-serve stick.

Hain featured Garden Veggie™ Flavor Burst™ Tortilla Chips, as well as highlighting Earth's Best® Organic Support Smoothies and new sustainable packaging solutions from the Ella's Kitchen® & Celestial Seasonings® brands.

Kate Farms prioritizes high-quality ingredients to provide nutrition, and believes that a shake doesn't need to be pink to enjoy an organic natural strawberry flavor.