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Emerging Flavors in Soft Drinks: New Flavor Blends, Next Generation Superfruits, and Future Opportunities

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Flavor stimulates one or both of the senses of taste and smell and/or as well as the tactical and temperature receptors in the mouth. Flavor in drinks is derived from a variety of sources, including added ingredients or reactions occurring during blending and processing.

From a consumer perspective, the main trends driving the soft drinks market are health and wellbeing, consumer sophistication, simplicity, experimentation and ethical and "green" purchasing. These consumer trends are putting pressure on the flavor industry to be much clearer and precise in terms of flavor definition (e.g. bourbon, Tahitian or Mexican vanilla), declaring whether flavors are natural or synthetic and stating the exact health benefits and ethical credentials of products. Some of the consumer trends overlap and others are contradictory which creates complexity for manufacturers as well as providing opportunities for the development of new and niche flavor groups.

This report provides a comprehensive review of growing and emerging flavors in soft drinks globally by sub-segment and region. In addition, it evaluates the drivers affecting the development of flavors, the technological developments and innovations in the soft drinks flavoring industry.

Key features of this report

An evaluation of the current market dynamics in soft drinks and the key drivers behind the trends including a breakdown of consumer issues.

An assessment of the latest regulatory developments in terms of product claims and nutritional labelling and how they impact the soft drinks industry

Analysis of the key flavor trends from a regional and a segment-specific perspective as well as insight on new and fast growing flavors.

An outline of new developments in science and technology including satiety, nutrient boosting and natural sweeteners; and an overview of how they will impact future flavor innovation.

Scope of this report

Gain insight into consumer trends that are driving the soft drinks industry and how they influence flavor development.

Learn which soft drinks segments have the highest growth rates and what opportunities they present for the flavor industry.

Understand the latest NPD flavor trends by sub-segment and region and learn which ones are the most innovative.

Assess the new research on traditional flavors and the impact it is having on innovation

Identify the flavoring opportunities that are emerging from the latest technologies in satiety, nutrient boosting and natural sweeteners.

Key Market Issues

From a consumer perspective, the main trends driving the soft drinks market are health and wellbeing, consumer sophistication, simplicity, experimentation and ethical and "green" purchasing

These consumer trends are putting pressure on the flavor industry to be much clearer and precise in terms of flavor definition, informing consumers about the "green" and ethical credentials of ingredients/flavors, declaring whether flavors are natural or synthetic and stating the exact health benefits on labels.

Flavors derived from high antioxidant, rich in vitamins or minerals, low sugar, and natural sources are growing in popularity even where no explicit health claims have been made by manufacturers.

Due to their novel and often exotic flavor profiles and their widely reported health benefits, superfruits, herbs and botanicals will remain an important trend in soft drinks flavors.

Key findings from this report

In bottled water, varieties of spices and herbs grew in popularity, with cinnamon, ginger, and basil all appearing in significantly more products in 2009, along with cardamom, cassis, black tea, and calamansi lime.

A growing trend in concentrates is the launch of products designed to mix into either alcoholic or non-alcoholic cocktails. This area has widened into multiple flavor variations including Amaretto, Bloody Mary, Cosmopolitan, Irish Cream, Margarita, Mojito, and pina colada.

In functional drinks herbs, spices and exotic fruits all increased in frequency. Chamomile had the most significant growth and a number of berry variants also appeared more frequently, including wild berry, and blue raspberry.

Blended juices accounted for over 40% of new juice products launched in 2009. An emerging trend in juice drinks is to combine the health benefits of exotic fruits with herbs and teas to create a 'superjuice'

Differentiating flavors by varietal, specie or origin will grow in the future as it will offer manufacturers the opportunity to expand ranges in mature flavor categories or to provide variety within a flavor group.

Key questions answered

What are the key consumer drivers of the soft drinks industry and how are they impacting flavor innovation?

What are the latest legislative challenges facing the industry and how does this affect the claims that can be made on product labels?

What are the most popular and fastest growing flavors by soft drinks sub-segment and which segments are the most innovative?

What opportunities do the latest technological developments in satiety, nutrient boosting and natural sweeteners present for the flavoring industry?