Consumers seeking new flavors to excite their taste buds

According to researchers from global taste and nutrition specialist, Kerry, international flavor crossovers are gaining popularity across international markets. The trends identified in Kerry’s 2024 Global Taste Charts suggest there are exciting opportunities for food innovators to appeal to consumers seeking out new options to thrill their taste buds.

These trends include inventive combinations of international cuisines, such as blends of Filipino and American dishes reflected in menu items like ube burgers and adobo chicken sandwiches and in Halo-Halo-inspired cocktails. The influence of social media and a desire for novelty are also driving demand among younger consumers for bold and unusual flavor combinations, such as sweet and savory pairings like bacon milkshakes, coffee infused with black garlic, and chocolate bars with wasabi.

For product innovators looking to capitalize on these trends, the flavor neutral attributes of sunflower oil make it the perfect oil to use in formulations for a variety of foods, such as plant-based products, sauces, spreads, snack foods and bakery products. Sunflower oil allows unique flavor combinations to be experienced as they were meant to be. U.S.-grown sunflower oil is also a highly versatile choice for a variety of other reasons too:

• It helps meet growing interest in sustainable ingredients. Sunflower crops are drought resistant, requiring a lot less water than many other crops. Sunflower production ranks high on an energy efficiency scale for soil conservation, low energy and fuel usage. And sunflowers capture carbon dioxide from the air leading to significant greenhouse gas emission savings.
• Consumers are looking for non-GMO products, lower saturated fat foods and foods that meet dietary restrictions, whether that is Vegan, Kosher or Halal. Sunflower oil is one of the few oils used in food manufacturing that is non-GMO, since sunflower seeds are grown using traditional breeding techniques. Sunflower oil is also Kosher and Halal, which is beneficial for the creation of many specialty foods.
• Sunflower oil is also high in monounsaturated fats with only a trace of linolenic fat (Omega 3). As a result, it is a very stable oil and has a significant shelf and fry life, helping food manufacturers meet demand for shelf stable products that can help reduce food waste.

If you are exploring how to best meet growing consumer interest in internationally inspired and exotic new flavor combinations, U.S.-grown sunflower oil might be the perfect option for your food innovations. Download a whitepaper to learn how the incredible versatility of sunflower oil can help you adapt to a variety of current and emerging consumer trends, or contact a sunflower oil supplier.