End of Year Wrap Up

As we wrap up 2023, we look towards what is upcoming in 2024. What trending ingredients and food innovations will we see continue to make waves in the industry come January? The food industry as always, is an everchanging landscape with creations that constantly tantalise consumer taste buds and capture attention. The upcoming year looks to continue the consistent themes of simple, healthy diets and people as always, will inevitably succumb to indulgent treats.

Salt is a timeless classic, and there will always be a place for this ingredient in dessert innovation. But lately salt has seen a craze, being added to everything from creams, custards, mousse, ice-cream, meringues and any other dessert item you can think of. But salt isn't the only thing spicing up the dessert world. Desserts are now also getting the 'swicy' treatment, infusing traditional sweet flavours with spicy twists. Asian spices are the obvious choice, however ingredients such as Sichuan, gochujang, sancho, as well as Mexican and Middle Eastern style spices are seeing a significant rise to fame. 

Think candied chipotle, tajin milk crumbs, mountain pepper whipped cream, timut pepper custards, ice-cream and chilli crisp; the possibilities are endless when it comes to spicy sweets, and cafes & bakeries are capitalising. This relatively niche offering has turned to a global phenomenon, and it looks as though what we are seeing in the market today is only the foundation of some of the funky swicy treats we will see in the New Year.

Whilst these indulgent creations are taking the world by storm, these treats can't replace consumers growing need for a healthier diet.



While the jury is still out on what a proper, healthy diet looks like, the recent Netflix documentary 'Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones' has reignited interest in the dietary intricacies of Blue Zone people. Blue Zone people describe the communities residing in zones which are statistically living longer than the rest of the planet, often surpassing their 100th birthdays. Harmonious with the Earth and body, their diets consist of minimally processed and nutrient-rich foods. Homegrown plant-based diets, often led by an abundance in consumption of lentils, nuts and wholegrains, seem to be a contributing key to success.

However the core ingredient linked to leading a statistically longer life for blue zone people, has been revealed to be beans. Meat and fish have been pushed aside, with these ingredients not featuring as the main part of mealtime, if at all. Beverage wise, the staples for these communities are often water, tea, coffee, and a glass of wine a day.

Whilst these communities are few and far between, the consistency between what they are consuming and their average life-span is starting to raise eyebrows across the globe. 

With blue zones being identified in Greece, Japan, Sardinia, Italy and even the USA, the parallel in diet from communities across the globe is starting to gain awareness. We are excited to see the research coming from studying these people and their consumption habits, and how these secrets to a longer life impact future trends and ingredient uses.

For now, we can only speculate what is to come over the next year and beyond, but current trends and reports seem to be pointing towards 2024 being another year focused on healthy consumer decisions, and a market for innovative and exciting sweet creations.