bake - September/October 2024 - PAN38

Sixty-seven percent of respondents
said Invention is a priority for them
over the next 12 to 18 months,
compared to just 59% in 2022 and
67% pre-pandemic. Similarly, 84% of
respondents said Innovation is a priority,
well above 76% in 2022 and tracking
towards the pre-pandemic 88%.
" We're seeing through this research
a large share of bakeries returning to a
healthy focus across all three initiative
areas in the next 12 to 18 months, and
those shares look really quite similar to
what was happening [pre-pandemic], "
said Marjorie Hellmer, president of
Cypress Research.
Some of the biggest trends respondents
said are influencing new product
development include clean label (79%);
convenience (51%), reducing ingredients
like sugar, sodium, gluten, etc. (48%);
and premiumization/increased value
proposition (33%).
SPECIALTY TRENDS
The experts on the Specialty Food
Association (SFA) Trendspotter Panel
scouted the sold-out 68th Summer
Fancy Food Show for products, and
flavors, and innovations that speak to
where the specialty food industry-
and by extension, food
consumers as a whole-is
headed. In their report,
the Panel identified
Bespoke Baking, Original,
Daring, Different (ODD),
Lavender, Fast & Fancy,
Warmth & Comfort,
Upscaling At Home, and
West Asian and North
African Flavors as the top
emerging trends.
These notable commonalities, outlined
in detail below, were spotted among
the more than 2,400 domestic and
international companies that exhibited at
the show, which took place June 23-25 at
the Javits Center in New York City.
" Trends from the Summer Fancy
Food Show, which covers not just
one or two categories but the entire
specialty food landscape, are uniquely
powerful at telling the story of
changing consumer tastes, needs, and
values, " said Leana Salamah, SVP of
marketing and communications at
SFA. " Trends that start in specialty
hit menus and mainstream retail
shelves in the blink of an eye. So the
Trendspotters' observations from this
year's Show offer a snapshot into the
future of not just specialty but all food
and beverage. "
Bespoke baking and versatile
baking mixes and batters that invite
customization and creativity were on
display at the show. " It's about starting
with a really great product and helping
the consumer understand what to do
with it by saying 'hey, you can just
have this as is or you can really kind of
chose your own adventure with it,' " said
Trendspotter Melanie Bartelme, associate
director of Mintel Food & Drink. "
Warmth & Comfort is another
prominent theme, characterized by
the prevalence of products featuring
warm, familiar flavors often associated
with nostalgia and home-spun meals, "
said Trendspotters Cirkus and Rogers.
" Exhibitors presented a variety of items
with globally familiar warm brown notes
such as molasses, cacao, chai, maple,
mushroom, hazelnut, and tahini. "
" More people are eating at home and
working from home, " said Trendspotter
Kat Craddock, CEO, editor-in-chief, and
owner of Saveur. " We don't have to live
out our food consumption in a lunch
38
PANADERÍA | OCTOBER 2024
bake - September/October 2024

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