The year 2020 has been marked by uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic, widespread fires, a presidential election, and social unrest. Yet, in these tumultuous times, comfort food remains a reliable source of solace for consumers. Marie Wright, the president of creation, design, and development, as well as chief global flavorist at ADM, emphasizes the significance of comfort food in consumers’ lives. According to her, taste has a profound emotional resonance. “Essentially, we taste with our brains, and the region responsible for flavor processing is also where memories are stored and emotions are triggered,” Wright explained. This intricate relationship between taste, emotions, and memory highlights why comfort food is so vital during challenging times.
ADM prioritizes the creation and refinement of flavors, and many manufacturers are now leveraging nostalgic tastes that evoke a sense of comfort. Research indicates that flavors associated with childhood experiences, particularly those encountered before the age of ten, hold substantial appeal. Currently, Wright noted that ADM is focusing on universally comforting flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, macaroni and cheese, chicken soup, and cheese, as well as seasonal favorites like pumpkin spice, peppermint, and sugar cookies. Furthermore, there is an increasing interest in botanical flavors that align with consumer demands for clean-label health and wellness, including orange and berries. Wright has worked on approximately 1,000 variants of chocolate and vanilla flavors, while niche comfort flavors like s’mores have around 100 active formulations. “What might appear simple can often be quite complex,” she remarked. “Authenticity and enjoyment are essential.”
When Wright and her team embark on developing a flavor, their first step is to create a gold standard version, which serves as the benchmark for any product utilizing that flavor. Certain product types, such as today’s intricate nutritional shakes and bars, require more extensive work. “Some of the bases we receive are challenging, and we often think, ‘What are we going to do with this?'” Wright shared. “We must work our magic. Ultimately, we want it to taste delicious—what I like to call ‘permissible comfort.’ For instance, we take a poorly tasting shake and transform it into a delightful salted caramel comfort food.”
ADM’s robust consumer insights team continuously monitors emerging flavor trends. Some flavors remain timeless; for instance, chocolate is widely regarded as comforting across various age groups. Others, like salted caramel, can unexpectedly surge in popularity. Wright noted that salted caramel was relatively obscure when ADM began developing it, but it has since become a favored flavor in everything from coffee to Canadian whisky.
In 2020, more manufacturers have shifted their focus towards creating comforting flavors in their products. Wright observed that holiday-themed comfort flavors—such as pumpkin spice, sugar cookies, and peppermint—are being developed and ordered earlier than usual. This trend may stem from consumers seeking comfort while spending extended periods at home. Additionally, there has been a growing interest in ice cream flavors, often viewed as a comforting treat during tough times.
However, comfort food isn’t solely about indulgent flavors or nostalgic sweets. Wright noted a rising interest in botanical flavors during the pandemic. “People find comfort in foods that are specifically designed to support immunity,” she explained. Foods that benefit the microbiome are increasingly popular, especially as research links microbiome health to immune responses. ADM’s superfood flavors, including calcium citrate granules, acai, and guarana, incorporate more actual fruit, enhancing the taste of these nutritious ingredients.
The pandemic has prompted manufacturers to introduce comforting flavors in unexpected products. For example, pumpkin spice—synonymous with fall in the United States—has recently been incorporated into summer hard seltzers. Flavors like watermelon and mojito may soon appear in winter baked goods or snacks that start hitting the shelves in September. The trend of holiday-themed foods appearing earlier in the calendar—such as grocery aisles brimming with pumpkin and maple in August—may become even more pronounced this year. “The lines are blurring, and there’s greater flexibility now,” Wright noted. “The pandemic has forced us to adapt, reshaping how we live and approach food.”
While Wright hopes for an end to the pandemic soon, she speculates that many comforting flavors may transition into mainstream options post-crisis. However, there might be a decline in products specifically marketed for comfort. “Our eating habits and interactions with food are changing,” Wright concluded, implying that this evolution will shape future culinary trends.