Each month, California-based flavor manufacturer T. Hasegawa USA publishes a report detailing emerging consumer trends in CPG food / beverage and foodservice menus.

The two-day event brought more than 200 food and beverage industry attendees together on a unique discovery journey themed, “A Canvas for Creation.” It featured new concepts, flavors and ingredients designed to help them grow their product portfolios and craft solutions for the future.

Epicurated provides unique and compelling perspectives and consists of four topics released quarterly throughout 2024 including Gen Alpha, Food Service, Sports Nutrition, and Alcohol-inspired. Spotlighting ten flavors per release, these presentations provide insight into consumer behaviors and flavor trends, named thematically. 

The hotter and spicier foods get, the hotter their popularity. Prepared Foods’ David Feder interviews Frito Lay’s Jody Denton for an expert look behind the hot and spicy trend.

Nutrition has become hyper-personalized, and we owe much of that to advanced technology. As tech has taught us more about how our bodies and brains work, we’re paying more attention to how the foods and beverages we consume affect us beyond physiology. This single but sweeping development has significantly shaped food trends for the coming year and beyond.

In this podcast, Scott Dicker, market insights director at SPINS LLC, discusses those natural and organic categories that are doing well (think global flavors, at-home meals) and he shares an inside look at SPINS’ top trends for 2024!

The new barista blends and creamer address the needs of consumers seeking plant-based, café-quality beverages at home for a fraction of the price.

Crafted with premium organic ingredients, the brownies offer a chocolate experience while upholding a commitment to clean eating.

A Prepared Foods infographic highlighting 2024 trends in Natural & Organic seen at Natural Products Expo West.

By expanding its capabilities to address the growing consumer interest in functional beverages, the company is poised to offer partners and customers the opportunity to meet consumer needs and expectations while embracing current food and beverage trends and advancements in the market.

In conjunction with its February profile of new sports foods and drinks, Prepared Foods interviewed Scott Peters, director of product development at 3i Solutions, Wooster, Ohio. 

“We were so honored to be invited to the Fancy Food Show this year. It is a great way for our students to see how broad the food industry is and understand the impact of the work we do at the lab,” said Drexel Food Lab Associate Director Chef Rachel Sherman. “I find it encouraging to see what products and trends jump out to them."

Joan Driggs, Circana’s vice president for content and thought leadership, sits down with Prepared Foods to break down trends fueling success for Circana’s top New Product Pacesetters at both the retail and convenience store channels.

Consumers continue to say their primary store for purchasing food does an excellent job of meeting their needs, with 79% of shoppers reporting that getting a “good value” when grocery shopping is their top priority. 

As inflation slowly moderates, US consumers continue to feel the pinch of higher food costs. Value retailers are seeing more foot traffic as shoppers shift to store brands and cut back on non-food expenses. According to Circana, formerly IRI and The NPD Group, consumers are looking for ways to make their budgets stretch, from canceling subscriptions to favoring at-home meals over dining out.

There will be an increase in diversified ingredient sourcing, while the humanization of technology will be essential for consumers who are apprehensive about technology being used to create, modify and produce the food they put into their bodies.

The Whole Foods Market Trends Council – a collective of more than 50 Whole Foods Market team members ranging from foragers and buyers to culinary experts – develop these trend predictions each year through a combination of deep industry experience, keen observation of consumer preferences, and collaborative sessions with emerging and established brands.

Made with Bob’s Red Mill’s signature blends of premium flours and quality pantry staples, each mix delivers light and fluffy pancakes in minutes. And, with home cooks preferring recipes with a short list of ingredients, they’ll become an essential shortcut for easy, convenient breakfasts with scratch-quality homemade taste. 

This summer’s Sweets & Snack Expo in Indianapolis drew more than 16,000 attendees and 1,000 exhibitors, from 25 countries. The trends I noticed involve lots of activity around texture—including freeze-dried candies and crunchy and chewy protein snacks. There also are intriguing new flavors in snacks and chips. 

“More and more research is looking at our gut microbiome and how it plays an integral role in affecting our immune system, brain health and other body functions,” says Dr. Samara Sterling, a nutrition scientist and research director for The Peanut Institute. “These findings are exciting because the students consumed a relatively small amount of peanuts each day but the impact on their memory and mood was statistically significant.”

Functional foods and flavors continue to climb in popularity as such foods achieve just that: beyond providing nutritional benefits, they bring flavor, comfort, and excitement to the table. Among these, immunity-targeting products are in the forefront.

Inflammation was already a concern for consumers as research established systemic inflammation as a significant participant in disease states ranging from obesity, diabetes, and CVD to infirmities of aging and even declines in energy and cognition. Then the global pandemic hit and the perils of inflammation moved further into the spotlight.

The Future Menus North America Trends 2024 report identifies top menu trends predicted to influence the restaurant industry in the coming years.

Prepared Foods gets the inside scoop on new product development from Stacey Kinkaid, US Foods vice president of product development & innovation.

Prepared Foods talks off-premise foodservice trends and consumer eating patterns—with Faye Schoenherr, McCain Foods’ North American Senior Brand Manager for SureCrisp French fries.

In a few weeks, we will begin publishing predictions for 2025. Prior to sharing our outlook for the year ahead, we wanted to review the predictions we made for 2024 to determine what we got right and what might not have fully taken shape.

Discover the latest trends reshaping the food and beverage landscape in 2024 and into 2025, where health-conscious choices meet adventurous flavors. We delve into how consumer behaviors are driving innovative snack and beverage options, while sauces and dressings bring excitement to mealtimes. Uncover the key insights and product opportunities that can inspire your next creation in the ever-evolving market.

Prior to sharing our outlook for 2025, we wanted to review the predictions we made for 2024 to determine what we got right and what might not have fully taken shape. Here, we've collected capsule information for each section of our 2024 Predictions, in areas such as sustainability, foodservice and global flavors. Within each capsule, you will find our 2024 predictions and assessments of their accuracy.

Introducing a new super brand dedicated to all things flooring: FLOOR Trends & Installation.

Simplot Maple City Waffle line transforms popular menu entrée into a versatile, on-the-go option for operators, consumers.

The trend predictions are developed by Kroger's industry-leading team of food experts including Our Brands' product developers, chefs, buyers, culinary specialists and Kroger's retail data science arm, 84.51º, for a well-rounded projection of what customers will be buzzing about for the upcoming year.

Comprising 20 experts from diverse segments of the culinary world, the SFA Trendspotters track emerging specialty food and beverage products in their own work and at the bi-annual SFA Fancy Food Shows, thereby getting an early look at the flavors, formats, and ideas that will hit mainstream retailers and restaurants sooner than later.

The 2018 Southeast Flooring Market, which took place January 3-4 at the Cobb Galleria Centre, reported double the number of 2017 exhibiting companies and a 52% buyer attendance increase year over year.

Five hundred members of Flooring America, Flooring Canada and The Floor Trader learn the latest strategies to drive growth and market differentiation for independent flooring retailers.

Floor Trends reached out to Tressa Samdal, VP of marketing for E.J. Welch Company, for a brief follow-up interview in the wake of the pandemic to see what has changed since we last spoke to her and ask what advice she would give to other women working their way up through the industry. 

Sherwin-Williams High Performance Flooring launched Accelera One is an advanced coating technology designed for decorative flake and quartz flooring systems that meet the rigorous demands of commercial and institutional environments, delivering a high level of performance, ease of application and chemical resistance.

With the Federal Reserve beginning an easing of monetary policy and builder sentiment improving, single-family starts posted a modest gain in September while multifamily construction continued to weaken because of tight financing and an ongoing rise in completed apartments.

AHF said it continues to produce ways to grow the Do It Best partnership and drive sales, such as putting together pallet buy specials, creating a national drop-ship program and looking to get products into their distribution centers.

Belknap White’s Dave Godlewski, vice president ceramic, and Jane Twombly, director of specification, provided a more in-depth look at the company which is one of the largest flooring distributors in the country, discuss what’s coming for 2024, the opportunities they see on the horizon and the trends they are following this year.

Learn how this leader in resilient flooring emphasizes long-term planning, approaches the evolving role of digital printing, and discusses the importance of clear product storytelling. Plus, Wu highlights Novalis' commitment to domestic manufacturing.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a revised draft Introduction and Appendix 1 to the multi-chapter draft guidance for industry titled “Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food: Draft Guidance for Industry” (PCHF Draft Guidance).

The National Floorcovering Alliance's 26 vendor partners came armed with new products and promotion ideas aimed to boost sales for flooring retailers in 2024. 

For the third year, the Mohawk Design Summit brought together retailers and designers to curate the 2025 and 2026 products for the Mohawk, Karastan and Godfrey Hirst brands. 

In conjunction with the 2014 InterCork II campaign being launched by APCOR, the international trade body representing cork producers from Portugal, I would like to elaborate further on their efforts while extolling the many virtues cork flooring has to offer the independent retailer.

Oils and waxes have been used to protect natural materials from the effects of the environment—light, water, cats, etc.—in buildings and building materials for as long as such things have existed.

The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) announced the winners of the Howard Olansky Affiliate of the Year Awards. 

Infinity Drain identifies emerging bathroom trends of 2025.

As part of an on-going effort to stay current on key industry issues and market trends, National Floor Trends sponsors several market studies each year.

The purpose of NFT's hardwood market study is to obtain feedback from flooring dealers/contractors concerning the hardwood flooring business in today's competitive market.

From NeoCon 2024, Bjelin U.S. General Manager Zach Adams shares insights into what's driving wood flooring sales in the commercial market and the manufacturer's new partnership with Spartan Surfaces.