It’s National Ice Cream Month, first defined by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. But what’s the scoop in ice cream innovation today? What will be the hot new flavors to keep us cool?
First, let’s cover the big names. Vanilla is the long-standing title holder for the most popular ice cream flavor, with 29% of the vote. Chocolate is lagging behind with 8.9% of the vote, followed by butter pecan and strawberry, which both have 5.3%. These positions don’t look set to change for the masses, with some sources even stating that vanilla may increase in popularity this year, particularly as a base for addition of other flavors.
The Demand for ‘Natural’ and ‘Clean’ Foods
In the consumer products industry, there is a trend towards natural and “clean” ingredients. This is particularly noticeable in the food and beverage industry, as consumers become more conscious of what is in their food and where it has come from.
Ice cream is no exception to this trend. We are expecting to see more descriptive words used on ice cream flavor labels. For instance, the addition of cooking methods; toasted almonds or caramelized apple etc. For the consumer, this delivers enticing visions of a carefully and thoughtfully prepared product.
Ice Cream Without Sugar
Sugar is a challenge for many sweet food and beverage producers. Economic factors such as proposed sugar taxes, combined with the consumer perception of sugar as an addictive, unnatural and unhealthy substance, makes it more difficult for suppliers to justify their sweetness.
Expect to see an increase in the declaration of natural sugars. Think honey, agave, brown sugar; in fact, look for any sweetener that sounds “natural” and has a guilt-free ring to it.
This article originally appeared on Dairy Foods, a publication that reports on technologies, trends and issues in food, beverage and packaging. You can view the entire article by clicking here.
This article was originally featured on Dairy Foods, a publication that reports on technologies and trends in the dairy business. Please click here to read the full article.
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