Three Trends from the Summer Fancy Food Show

Posted by Rebekah Wicke on 7/3/19

The Summer Fancy Food Show is a foodie’s paradise. Last week, the Fuchs team attended the show – and enjoyed many, many samples. In addition to eating our way through hundreds of booths and getting our steps in (over 6.5 miles!), we were on a mission: trendspotting. We’ve weeded through all of our notes from the show and identified three of the biggest trends. Check out our recap below.

1. Plant-Based Eating Moves Beyond Basic
Move over veggie burgers and apple chips, there’s a whole new wave of plant-based foods coming our way. At the show, we saw hundreds of new plant-based innovations, all trying to appeal to health-conscious and vegan consumers, who are looking for meat alternatives. From vegan tuna to banana jerky, plant-based products were everywhere you turned at the Fancy Food Show. Also being influenced by this trend: puffs. The extruded snack category is getting a makeover with bases like chickpeas and lotus seeds. Mushrooms were also having a moment at the show, being used primarily in snacks and jerky as a “better for you” option.

Fuchs Pro Tip: Something that all plant-based products need are flavorful, craveable seasonings that mask any aftertastes and also help consumers step outside of their comfort zones. Some consumers may be hesitant about trying plant-based products, but pairing it with a delicious flavor will help encourage them to try it – and keep them coming back for more. Have a line of plant-based products? Reach out to our seasoning and flavor experts about having custom seasoning blends developed specifically for your products.

2. The Future is Floral
You couldn’t get down a single aisle at the Fancy Food Show without encountering some type of floral flavored product, or at least so it seemed. Floral flavors, especially rose, lavender and elderflower were in everything from beverages to snacks to chocolate and baked goods. Floral-infused beverages were, by far, the most common, with teas, sodas, cocktail mixers, and vinegar-based drinks at every turn. Some of these products touted functional claims, including increased focused and energy, while the majority were just showing off how good floral flavors can be in a variety of applications. Many of these floral flavors were paired with fruit flavors, like blueberry lavender and strawberry rose.

Need help brainstorming some floral focused flavors? Contact our trend experts for ideas!

3. CBD & Hemp Make A Splash
Although they had less presence at this show than at Expo West, CBD and Hemp products were very much prevalent at the Summer Fancy Food Show. Given the growing interest in CBD and hemp from consumers, it is no surprise that more and more of these products are being introduced into the market. Hemp is still proving to be popular in granola, cereal, and bars, and several of these products were available at the show. Additionally, and not surprisingly, teas featuring CBD and touting its potential benefits as a relaxation and sleep aid also made waves at the show. As did CBD oil – for both humans and pets! Given its current status and the lack of formal regulatory requirements around CBD products, it’s a tricky space to play in right now. One CBD vendor we spoke with at the show noted that it will be a relief when CBD becomes more regulated, as it will help weed out competitors whose products don’t live up to their claims.

Want to understand what’s going on with CBD from a regulatory perspective? Check out our Regulatory Hot Topics blog series, or reach out to our regulatory affairs gurus.