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TOP INSIGHTS FOR FLAVOR INNOVATION
There will be a resurgence in age-old cooking practices and
traditional recipes as consumers place more importance on
tradition and provenance. Ingredients such as apple cider vinegar,
ashwagandha and mushrooms are finding a new home across snack
and beverage applications.
Indulgence will take on a new meaning, with younger consumers
in particular seeking mashups of familiar food and drinks that they
grew up with combined with emerging new flavor tonalities. This
trend is augmented by the influence of social media channels such
as TikTok and Instagram.
There will be a hunger for unconventional combinations of
traditional ingredients and emerging taste profiles from other
regions, such as cloves, Herbs de Provence, saffron, fig, ube, dill
and a thirst for healthier beverages with functional ingredients such
as ashwagandha.
In addition, consumers will be seeking value in 2023 as inflation
hits home, but they will still gravitate towards products that allow
permissible indulgence, still seeking simple flavors like cheddar
cheese and caramel across nostalgic favorites like cookies and salty
snacks.
REDEFINING VALUE
The food and beverage industry trends of 2023 and beyond will
continue to be influenced by a nexus of economic, environmental,
and social impacts as well as changing consumer tastes.
California almonds can be a key ingredient helping brands and
product innovators be ready for the future. Out of their annual
trends forecast, Innova Market Insights shared the five most
important 2023 Trends where almonds can play a valuable role in
keeping up with consumer and market demands as an
accessible, nutritious, sustainable and plant-based
ingredient.
The following are several of the key trends to
monitor for the following years.
When it comes to value, California
almonds tick all the boxes in terms of the
planet, health and nutrition, as well as taste
and texture.
Almonds are a simple, whole food
ingredient with over 14 ingredient forms
for a variety of sensory experiences, and
those grown in California benefit from a
long heritage of continuously improved
sustainability practices.
As a nutrient-dense snack, almonds offer
six grams of plant-based protein, four grams
of filling dietary fiber, 13 grams of good
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unsaturated fats and just one gram of saturated fat in one serving,
and have an ever-expanding body of nutrition research in areas
including heart health, weight management, diabetes, diet quality,
skin health, gut health and more.
In addition to almond milk improving taste and texture in dairy
alternatives, other forms like almond paste and almond butter
are being used to make vegan chocolate creamier, providing
products with natural sweetness and smooth texture mirroring milk
ingredients.
Beyond dairy alternatives, almonds are advantageous in plantforward
snacking as a whole food ingredient with a long shelf life.
Chopped almonds and almond flour have played a starring role in
snack bars to almond-based dips.
JOHN UNREIN
bake - March/April 2023

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