We'll be exploring categories from dairy and sweets to beverages and meats in our Summer Webinar Seri…
Presenting: Beverage Trends
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The 3rd presentation in our summer webinar series explored beverage trends, ingredients and applications. Topics ranged from fizzy throwbacks and post-modern techniques to farm-to-glass ingredients, as well as the latest in what’s hitting the mark with functionality. Melissa Abbott, Director of Culinary Insights, delved into the trends that will significantly impact the marketplace in 2012. View the complete presentation below.
Q&A
Is high fructose corn syrup likely to stay out of favor as a sweetener for beverage developers or will changing its name to ‘corn sugar’ make it more appealing?
More than ever, and particularly with beverages, consumers are vigilantly reading labels. Simply renaming an ingredient that, in the consumer’s mind, is perceived negatively, will not make it more appealing. If anything, it will cause the consumer to distrust corn syrup manufacturers for seeming shifty. Consumers who were previously avoiding HFCS will now avoid corn sugar. There will always be a contingent of consumers who simply don’t care about ingredients and will continue to purchase products containing either HFCS or corn sugar.
Do you see growth in the stick dry beverage mixes. What about new products like Mio?
Mio is a very interesting product but is a bit too processed for today’s consumer, who is seeking more real, fresh and less-processed beverages. To the consumer, Mio appears more like something they should add to their laundry than a refreshing beverage. Think of it as innovation gone awry. As for sticks, they appeal to those interested in functionality and on-the-go, but their growth will eventually stagnate as their attraction is designated to solitary occasions when the consumer is less interested in quality and not looking for much out of their beverage experience. While we expect Mio to be more of a passing novelty, sticks will likely be around a bit longer as they do offer base functionality.
Can you elaborate on the DIY trend and how consumers are trying to create culinary cocktails at home?
The DIY trend really took shape after the recession as a way for consumers to “busy” themselves and keep their minds off the larger economic troubles that were largely out of their control. Pockets of consumers took to planting vegetable gardens as a way to save money, but quickly realized it cost a fair bit to grow vegetables and the yield was not so bountiful. But today, the DIY movement is more about creativity and trying new flavors, ingredients and sharing products with social networks. The interest in small-batch artisan spirits goes hand-in-hand with the procuring of fresh herbs/mint, novel citrus, Meyer lemon juice and the muddling of it all to create a ritualistic experience.
Do you believe kombucha has reached its peak and is in decline based on the recall last year? I am reading that consumers are not pleased with the reformulated products reintroduced to the market. Your thoughts?
Just prior to last year’s Kombucha fiasco (when nearly all were taken off shelves due to uncontrollable alcohol levels), there were numerous new entries into the marketplace, hoping to ride on the success of GT’s, the most widely recognized kombucha brand. The new formulations are not the same, and consumers do not believe they offer the same perceived benefits. KeVita brand cultured coconut beverage, Shrub vinegar beverage and Drinkwell Softers, mentioned in the webinar, are likely to gain traction with consumers as their fermentation process is controlled, as in yogurt and not wild as with kombucha, leveraging their ability to offer more believable health benefits to the consumer.
Thirsty for more?
Sign up for the rest of our category-specific summer webinars!
Next up: Sweets on August 4th followed by Herbs & Spices on August 24th.