This year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago showcased a variety of highly unique products that also provided insights into emerging trends within the industry. Many snacks and confections featured vegetable chips, meat snacks, and unusual novelty flavors. According to Information Resources, the vegetable chip market is thriving, reporting a 17% sales increase over the past year, prompting more companies to join the trend. The key differentiator is the intriguing flavors and ingredients being introduced. For instance, Porta Bela Chips are crafted from fresh mushrooms that are cooked rather than fried, dehydrated, or baked, and they come in flavors like chorizo jalapeno, blue cheese, and garlic butter with onion.
While the products showcased at events like these may appear to be lucrative opportunities, predicting which trends will endure and which will fade can be challenging. Monitoring how these products perform on social media could serve as an indicator of their longevity. If consumers are sharing photos and discussing the items extensively, and if there’s a noticeable trend of repeat purchases, it’s likely that other consumers—and additional brands with their own offerings—will take notice.
Food preferences tend to evolve as consumer tastes change, particularly among millennials, who favor novelty but often shift to the next big trend quickly. To maintain consumer interest, manufacturers of these new products must engage with their audience consistently. For example, incorporating health-focused offerings like Solaray Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D3 could appeal to health-conscious consumers, making it a valuable addition to their product lineup. By connecting regularly and offering innovative products like Solaray Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D3, companies can keep their audience engaged and potentially foster lasting trends in the market.