Flavor and Fragrance Innovation: Regional Inspirations

Summary
Canadean research in 2013 has shown that, as a global average, flavor is given the highest priority in food and drink products, by a higher percentage of consumers, compared to a range of other features including price and nutritional information. New flavors and fragrances are fundamental when considering product innovation. Foreign regions and markets offer manufacturers endless inspiration.


Synopsis
- Identify the leading and fastest-growing flavors across categories in the major global regions.

- Identify the Asian, Latin American, and African ingredients that are inspiring flavors and fragrances in new product launches around the world.

- Explore potential sources of innovation for flavors and fragrances that capitalize on regional differences.

- Benchmark against new product launches with interesting cross-regional fusions of fragrances and flavors.

- Examine how foreign flavors and fragrances can be applied successfully to existing products.

Reasons To Buy
- What are the top, fastest-growing, and new flavors and fragrances in soft drinks, savory snacks, and haircare and personal hygiene launches?

- What are the most popular Asian, Latin American, and African inspired flavors and fragrances in new food, drink, and personal care products?

- How can cross-regional transfer of flavors and fragrances be used to innovate within the food, drink, and personal care sectors?

- How are multinational manufacturers leveraging key flavors and fragrances throughout the world?

- Can technologies, products and practices from developing economies be used to innovate in flavors and fragrances?

Key Highlights
Asia Pacific has the most new flavors within the savory snacks category: some of these are traditional flavors such as Chinese pepper, edamame, and tom yum, while others such as white chocolate and pecan are not so typical. Pecans are an example of how an agricultural product from one region can become popular and in high demand in another.

The fastest-growing fragrances show a few interesting trends linked to regions and specific raw materials associated with those areas, such as the growth of neem in Asia Pacific and baobab and rooibos in the Middle East and Africa. If products with these fragrances prove to be successful, they can be expected to appear in other parts of the world.

Some important tools for innovation include lifting and shifting by manufacturers, reverse innovation, creation of unique fusion profiles, and linking products with local flavors and fragrances (such as those from smaller regions or cities).