US-based Beck Flavors is highlighting consumer demand for health, adventure and nostalgia – all driven in part by the COVID-19 pandemic – as part of its flavor forecast for 2022. The flavor house has revealed starring ingredients in the fruit, botanical and innovation categories, as well as its new indulgent category.

Beck’s marketing and R&D teams joined forces to analyze consumer flavor preferences and megatrends driving today’s purchasing behaviors to better understand wher these trends will pivot in the coming year and what that means for product innovation. 

The company says that consumer tastes change over time, often influenced by their circumstances, values and ethical standpoint. That change is emboldened by the 2022 “Flavor of the Year” prediction, notes the company, as they share insights with FoodIngredientsFirst into key consumer taste trends for the forthcoming year. 

Clementine, Elderflower, Starfruit Apricot and Coconut Caramel cookie have been crowned as key flavors by Beck for 2022.“The COVID-19 pandemic has driven consumers to become highly focused on improving their health and well-being, which resonates through the F&B choices that they make,” states Nick Viriyasiri, flavor scientist.

Focus on zestiness and health
In the fruit category, Clementine – a sweet, crisp and refreshing citrus flavor – was the winner. 

According to Beck’s research, 83% of consumers globally agree that having a healthy diet can build immunity to help prevent illness and disease. 

Citruses, berries and botanicals that are associated with superfruits or superfoods have experienced an increased demand over the past year because they project the “health halo” that people are looking for. 

“For example, one-third of consumers choose citrus and orchard flavors when they want something to boost their immunity,” notes Viriyasiri.

“Given the pandemic, there’s been a huge consumer focus on better eating – which involves calorie consciousness, better ingredients, lower sugars or carbs, and a shift toward flavors that represent a ‘healthier’ position,” adds Megan Gibson, marketing manager at Beck Flavors.

Citrus flavors can be considered a staple in many foods and beverages. With slight tweaks to a formulation, the same citrus flavor can take on various tastes and profiles, underscores Adam Berge, company applications technologist.

“These flavors are also a great option when masking any functional ingredients or additives since it helps to offset any sour or bitter notes,” he comments. “While we don’t see citrus flavors going away, more consumers are increasingly intrigued by exotic citrus fruits like calamansi, kumquat or yuzu.”

Boost for botanicals
The flavor of the year in the botanical category was Elderflower, another nuance that connotes health and freshness. Citrus flavors can be considered a staple in many foods and beverages.

“Floral ingredients are being incorporated into more foods and beverages,” claims Messina Truttman, VP of sales and marketing at Beck. “These botanicals pair perfectly with more familiar flavors such as apple, pear, blackberry or passionfruit to create something consumers can ease into.” 

She adds that botanical flavors are proliferating as more unique and exotic flavor profiles that still pair well with citrus or berry tones. 

“Meanwhile, F&B launches tracked with floral flavors are growing with a 21% CAGR globally over the past five years. Botanical flavors can offer a fresh, floral and even sometimes early profile to a food or beverage, bringing new innovative tastes to consumers that they may not have experienced before,” Truttman notes. 

“Pairing an exotic botanical with a more mainstream or traditional fruit or berry can create a unique twist that entices consumers to want to try,” she adds.

Seeking new experiences
With the pandemic putting a halt on people’s travel plans, consumers are craving new experiences. With Starfruit Apricot as the winner of the innovation category, that desire from consumers materializes in a more adventurous flavor profile, says the company.

“We’ve found that 63% of consumers find exotic F&B from all over the world appealing, so we are constantly exploring new exotic pairings that work well across a series of applications,” states Berge.

And in the new indulgent category, the winner was Coconut Caramel cookie, which hearkens back to the Samoa Girl Scout cookie, notes Beck.

Now more than ever, consumers are drawn toward comfort F&B. The flavor house found that nearly a third of global consumers have increased their preference for nostalgic and traditional flavors in the beverage category.

selecing essential flavors for 2022
For this year’s flavor selection, the company says it was “challenging to decide when so many applications come into play, which is why we cannot pick only one.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven consumers to become highly focused on improving their health and well-being.“We utilize market research, product sales and flavor popularity, as well as consumer preferences and the vast knowledge of our R&D team to narrow down the top contenders and ultimately decide on a winning flavor,” notes Gibson. 

“By introducing both an innovative and indulgent category, we make sure that we are capturing those flavors that speak to the nostalgia trend that we have seen emerge this year, as well as the unique mashups that are increasingly popular within food and beverage.”

Moreover, Gibson underscores that flavor selections will become “increasingly critical” for companies to consider, as it has become a great way for products and brands to set themselves apart from the competition. 

“Novel flavor blends will become more prominent with the evolution of more exotic citrus fruits, berries and botanical flavors claiming a stake in the market. The continued focus on health and wellness means that while flavors continue to evolve, so will the continued demand for more natural ingredient offerings.”

The company has observed a push toward natural flavors with other natural flavors (WONF), natural or even organic flavors this year. Gibson foresees this trend continuing in 2022 and beyond as consumers look for more clean label products on shelves.

Last year, Beck crowned yuzu, cherry blossom, dill pickle and honeycomb toffee flavors as its winning flavors for 2021.