Fancy Food Show Recap

The Specialty Food Association’s Fancy Food Show is well-known for showcasing some of the latest innovations and trends in the industry. Last week, our team attended the show, with our experts keeping their eyes peeled for how new and up-and-coming trends are taking shape with exciting product launches. Here are some of their takeaways from the show.

Out with the Old, In with the New

Surprisingly, there were relatively few plant-based vegan products compared to years past. Plant-based foods have dominated food trends for over five years, with new plant-based innovations generating significant buzz year after year. So, the lack of presence of plant-based and vegan products at the Fancy Food Show was notable. There are a few reasons why brands might be pumping the brakes on launching new plant-based products. One of those reasons has to do with inflation. Increases in grocery prices – and the cost of living in general – have put a strain on consumers’ budgets. Plant-based products are typically priced at a premium, meaning that if consumers are looking for ways to save on food, they may be cutting back on purchasing plant-based food items.

Although plant-based products may be losing steam at the moment, from the Fancy Food Show, it was clear that real cheese is not slowing down anytime soon. Consumers have become obsessed with charcuterie boards in recent years, thanks in part to TikTok and Instagram trends. This has put real cheese back in the spotlight. In addition to many real cheese products at the Fancy Food Show, there were many other charcuterie board components that were in abundance, including bacon jams, pickled veggies, flavored olives, cured meats, sweet and savory hummus, and wine sticks.

Another social media trend that has begun to take hold is the butter board – a similar concept to a charcuterie board, but with flavored butters to dip bread and other food items into. As such, it was no surprise to see shelf stable butters and flavored butters at the Fancy Food Show.

Lastly, from the many products exhibited at the show, it was evident that the comfort food trend is here to stay. We know that consumers always crave classic, nostalgic food in times of stress, and brands have been capitalizing on this opportunity to innovate with popular comfort foods.

Exciting Innovations

There were several products that stood out at the Fancy Food Show due to their uniqueness. These included red bean flavored ice cream, colorful ice cream cones, canned jackfruit, cocktail flavored gelatin, and low carb, gluten-free noodles that claim to not cause bloating. These products may be foreshadowing some of the trends that are on the horizon, while also providing some insight into how brands are innovating to differentiate themselves in the market.

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