Formulating winning flavor bases that keep up with global taste trends can be tough.
But why?
It isn’t an exaggeration to say that internationally-inspired flavors are taking the food and beverage industry by storm.
A desire for multicultural flavors isn’t just a North American phenomenon. According to Innova Market Insights, 1 in 3 global consumers are intrigued by new, unique, different flavors. Additionally, 1 in 4 globally are interested in exotic global flavor combinations.
This explains why they identified “Imaginative Taste Adventures” as one of their top global trends for 2025.
However, we have to acknowledge that developing products with these global flavor trends isn’t enough to guarantee success. As another one of Innova’s top trends implies, these flavors have to be “Authentic & Rooted“
In his recent article, Dirk Davis, Director Of Customer Account Management at Ever Fresh, explored how developers can navigate the line between authenticity to a flavor’s tradition and authenticity that resonates with a brand’s identity and consumer expectations.
Achieving this balance is crucial for developing flavor bases for multicultural flavors. However, it’s only part of the equation for success.
This is especially true when pairing these bold flavor profiles with other trending demands in your flavor bases. These could include other emerging flavor concepts, functional and better-for-you formulations, and clean-label flavor bases.
Placing formulated ingredient systems at the center of your approach helps take crafting tailored flavor bases for global flavor trends like these to the next level.
But, before we dive into the how, it’s essential first to understand the “whys”. Why are these tastes from around the world making such an impact? And why are these multicultural flavors poised to be a driving force of product innovation for the long haul?
Why the Global Flavor Trend is Accelerating
Denis Senter, Chief Marketing Officer at Ever Fresh, believes it should come as no surprise that the meteoric rise of global flavors can’t be pinned down to a single source. However, she believes it’s easy to see what’s fueling this rapid increase in internationally inspired tastes.
“While it’s true that people are visiting other countries more than ever before, this desire to ‘travel with your taste buds’ is really growing because of Gen Z [as well as Millenials] and their influence on social media.”
She continues, “Gen Z was the first generation to grow up in a truly multi-ethnic country and a multicultural world. They are also the most statistically diverse generation in US history. So from a young age they’ve experienced these global tastes from dinner at their friends’ houses and so on. It only makes sense that they are craving to explore even more of these multicultural flavors.”
Yet, due to their age, Gen Z currently lacks the buying power of other generations, including millennials.
However, when on the hunt for new flavors, 84% of consumers cite social media as their top destination for discovery. A locale that Gen Z, specifically, has used to redefine trends and reshape the market.
“While Gen Z doesn’t yet have the same market share as Millennials, they have the same, and maybe even more of a desire for new flavor experiences. But it’s their mastery and influence over social media that make them the tastemakers of trends that affect every generation and corner of the industry.”
These trending global tastes are enough to get anyone excited about trying them. Yet, despite them seeming to be a slam-dunk choice for development, why do so many miss the mark?
The Challenges of Developing Flavor Bases for Global Taste Trends
Including international flavors in current or new products is more complex than simply adding them to existing flavor bases.
“Having success with these emerging flavor concepts really requires developers to understand more about their product, their consumer expectations, and the components of their flavor bases,” explains Senter.
She notes that this is particularly true when combining bold flavor profiles with other health-focused and cleaner-label trends.
“The truth is, like any flavor, there are certain things that these global profiles can and can’t do. Some bigger and bolder flavors might work well with certain functional ingredients or plant-based proteins. Still, others will run into problems or require changes to your flavor base.
Everything from color to stabilizers, even the need for masking solutions, can be impacted by your ingredient choices.”
Senter adds that the pressure to get things to market fast can leave these potential challenges on the back burner, or, in many cases, result in products reaching the market that, frankly, just aren’t that good.
This is why Melanie Oeck, Ever Fresh’s Product Development Manager, believes that educating developers and customers about potential issues is essential to crafting the best products possible.
“The hardest thing might be working with companies around the limits they set for themselves. Whether it’s a specific way they want a flavor to taste, ingredients that ‘need’ to use, or the claims they want to make.”
“For example, a customer might be dead set on using date sugar for a variety of reasons. However, it might have some notes that compete with the fruit profile they want. Maybe even more problematic is the strong brown color it imparts that can ruin the whole desired aesthetic.”
“In other cases, they might want to incorporate an indulgent, but organic, variegate into an ice cream. They want it to be pure white, but can’t incorporate titanium dioxide. That could be tough. Or a situation where someone is firm on use a specific olive oil in their base. However the exclusivity and availability cause a disconnect when it comes to commercial scaling viability and checking off food safety boxes.”
Oeck stresses that this doesn’t mean that Ever Fresh writes these projects off; instead, it’s quite the opposite.
“A lot of customers come to us with extreme ideas or concepts, and if it’s something that can be done, we find a way to make it happen. Our formulated ingredient systems help make these projects possible.”
The Need for Flavor Bases That Function as Ingredient Systems
“When developing flavor bases for global flavor trends, we know trying to push the limits comes with the territory. We also know that going from prototype to commercialization with multicultural flavors requires scalable flavor systems. This means having functional flavor bases that are stable from processing through purchase, and above all perform to shoppers expectations,” says Oeck.
She explains that crafting the best flavor bases possible begins by understanding the balance between your target and your constraints.
“There are many other factors we have to consider beyond the limitations customers set for themselves. This includes everything from cost to supply chain availability and scalability, as well as the product format and flavor bases themselves.”
“For example, adding bold flavor profiles into bakery items could prove more difficult than something like ice cream. Afterall, how you develop a pie is completely different from a danish or a muffin. Then you have to consider how flavor, color, texture will hold up through intense heat processing and the product’s shelf life. Will the flavor and color still perform as expected?
Or will the flavor volatiles burn off and color dull, negatively impacting the sensory experience?”
Oeck adds, “This isn’t to say ice cream or yogurt preps are a walk in the park for incorporating global flavor trends, either. Flavors like mango chamoy or vanilla chai, might be the perfect pairings for dairy. Still, the creamy notes might mute the overall impact of the profile. You then need to consider how to enhance the flavor without raising your costs.”
This is where Ever Fresh formulated ingredient systems make the difference.
Partner with Ever Fresh for Global Flavor Base Success
Using the freshest, locally and ethically sourced, clean-label-ready ingredients, we craft ingredient systems tailored to address these challenges holistically.
Starting with the end user’s sensory experience in mind, we help turn your global flavor inspiration into an indulgent reality. Leveraging our team’s experience, expertise, and dedication to your project’s success, we work to understand the interactions and behavior of your unique ingredients to create cost-optimized formulations and functional flavor bases that simply work.
With our rapid prototyping, flavor matching, and in-house benchtop testing, we keep you on trend and ahead of the curve. All while providing your product the taste, texture, and performance your customers crave.
The trend of bold flavor profiles and global tastes is here to stay. But so are the challenges of incorporating and pairing them with health-focused ingredients, cleaner labels, and other emerging trends.
This is why when you work with Ever Fresh, you’re getting more than a supplier. You’re getting a strategic development partner committed to your success, no matter what’s trending next.
