New research from Synergy Flavors, Inc. (Wauconda, IL) highlights new and inspirational flavors for the North American and Latin American sports nutrition markets. The company’s “Flavors of the Future” research yielded a hot list of emerging, growing, mainstream and established flavor trends that will dominate the sports nutrition market, along with expected flavor combinations utilizing Foodpairing technology, which is based on using science to analyze and determine the compatibility between different ingredients.
Through the “Flavors of the Future” research, Synergy Flavors gathered insights from industry experts and then benchmarked the input with quantitative data, such as product launches and global search trends. This process identified the palette of flavors, which Synergy Flavors then validated in sports nutrition applications. Finally, Synergy Flavors’ team of flavorists and sports nutrition experts assessed and refined the list to create the “Flavors of the Future” hot list. Only those flavors that have true potential in the sports nutrition market made the final cut. For the North American market, they include:
Emerging: Ahead of the curve; new to consumers and generally very novel.
- Yuzu; Mochi
Growing: Starting to appear in food products, with the potential to be mainstream in the near future.
- Tart Cherry; Turmeric; Speculoos; Matcha
Mainstream: Regarded as normal or conventional in a segment and poised to work in sports nutrition.
- Pecans
Established: Well established in certain regions, with the potential for global appeal.
- S’mores; Cookie Dough; Birthday Cake
Some of the hot sports nutrition flavor trends for Latin America include:
- Emerging: Taro
- Growing: Dragon Fruit
- Mainstream: Tiramisu; Açaí
- Established: Alfajores; Tres Leches; Papaya Cream
According to the company, “Flavors of the Future” is more than a list. The results of the research present a guide for sports nutrition companies that will strengthen their competitive positioning by ensuring they remain on trend with their products. As part of the research, Synergy Flavors identified new and upcoming ingredients that are being used by chefs in their restaurants and evaluated the applicability of those in sports nutrition. Yuzu is a good example. The citrus fruit, which grows wild in central China and Tibet, is prevalent in a variety of cuisines and is now migrating to other product categories, such as spiked and sparkling beverages. It combines well with mint, apple and lemon flavors—ideal for sports nutrition applications.
To access the full research report and download a free “Flavors of the Future” booklet, visit www.synergytaste.com/flavorsofthefuture.
