One fifth of European food and drink launches featured a texture descriptor
Texture has risen to become a central feature in food and drink manufacturing with 20% of food and drink launched in Europe in 2017 having a description.
New research from Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD) shows that texture descriptions have increased from 17% the previous year.
Europe featured the largest share of global food and drink launches with texture descriptions since January 2016.
Katya Witham, global food and drink analyst at Mintel, explained the texture trend today (22nd of March) at Anuga FoodTec in Cologne: “As the 2018 Mintel Global Food & Drink Trend ‘New Sensations’ describes, texture has a particular opportunity to follow the lead of colour, which has become an increasingly popular feature in food and drink formulations that aim to allure more of the senses.
“Food and drink products have used ingredients such as turmeric, matcha, and even activated charcoal to create vibrantly hued products that look particularly good in social media. While colour will continue to be important, texture is the next facet of formulation that provides consumers with interactive and social media worthy experiences.”
A sizable proportion of European consumers is open to trying unusual textures: 37% of Spanish, 36% of Polish, 26% of French and 22% of German and Italian (respectively) consumers say they would like to try food and drink products with unusual textures.
Katya closes: “Texture will only become a more prominent feature in food and drink innovation in Europe. It is an especially important component for consumers who want a more tangible and interactive consumption experience.
“Products that appeal to multiple senses can provide consumers with escapes from the routine and stress of life, opportunities to make memories and generate share-worthy social media posts. The sound, feel and satisfaction provided by texture make it a trend to watch in 2018 and beyond.”
