Mintel announces flavor trends for 2018

"Less sweet" desserts among the top trends

Market intelligence agency Mintel has released a report detailing the top trends for foodservice in 2018.

Among the top trends are "less sweet" desserts, featuring ingredients such as olive oil and vinegar. From 2015 to 2017, Mintel's research showed a 16 percent increase in use of olive oil as a flavor in desserts.

Mintel also identified more interest in international cuisines, with spice blends, seasonings and preparation methods offering diners new experiences.

“Flavor is an ever-evolving art, ripe with opportunities for interpretation, innovation and creativity," says Amanda Topper, Associate Director of Foodservice Research at Mintel. "Today, that opportunity lies in the expansion of international flavors and ingredients and in the years ahead, we predict the ingenuity of new dishes will come down to enhancing the chemistry of ingredients to create hearty masterpieces. The future of flavor also lies in creating healthy dishes without giving up satisfying taste."

The top trends identified in the report are:

"Modern Mediterranean"
"Not too Sweet"
"Functional Colorful"
"Spicy Blends"
"International Spreads"
"Meaty Flavors"

The full report can be downloaded here.

KEYWORDS: food and beverage industry trends

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Casey Laughman is the former Editor in Chief of Food Engineering magazine. He has almost two decades’ experience as a writer and editor for mainstream and trade publications. He spent several years as a writer and editor for two news services before becoming the editor of a legal publication and managing editor of a trade magazine that covered the commercial facilities market.