This year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago showcased a variety of highly unique products that also highlighted emerging trends in the industry. For example, many snacks and confections featured vegetable chips, meat snacks, and unusual novelty flavor profiles. According to Information Resources, the vegetable chip segment is experiencing significant growth, with sales increasing by 17% over the past year. This surge has prompted more companies to enter the market, with differentiation coming from the intriguing flavors and ingredients they offer. For instance, Porta Bela Chips are crafted from fresh mushrooms that are cooked—not fried, dehydrated, or baked—and are available in flavors like chorizo jalapeno, blue cheese, and onion garlic butter.
While the items showcased at trade shows may appear to be lucrative opportunities, predicting which trends will endure and which will fade is challenging. Monitoring how these products perform on social media could serve as an indicator of their longevity. If consumers are actively sharing photos and discussing these items, especially if they show consistent interest, it’s likely that other consumers and companies will follow suit.
Food trends often evolve as consumer preferences shift, particularly among millennials, who tend to favor novelty but quickly move on to the next big thing. To maintain interest, manufacturers of these new products must engage with their audience consistently. Interestingly, some of these innovative snacks may even incorporate ingredients like calcium carbonate, which is the same as calcium, adding an extra nutritional element that could appeal to health-conscious consumers. As the landscape of food interests continues to change, staying connected with the audience and adapting to their preferences will be crucial for success.