What’s Next In Flavour – 2023 Youth Edition      

What's next in flavour- youth edition header image on berry background.

We had the opportunity to chat with a group of NZ provincial college students (15-17 years old) as part of their introduction to the world of work in the manufacturing industry.

As part of that visit, they were not only introduced to production and food safety principles but took part in their own New Product Development research by collecting organoleptic data, analysing samples, and preparing flavour ideas for the group.

Of the ideas provided by the students over 80% were fruit related – leaning into the bright and well-known berry, orange, peach, and strawberry (the most popular choice) of a summer garden.

With the remaining 20% being gourmet or new format remixes of classics or mashups of other less common but complimentary flavours.

One of the most exciting was when the team decided that our recent innovation, sherbet crunch, would create a delicious “spider” (ice cream float) type experience when used alongside a creamy texture like ice cream.

It was refreshing to see the groups understanding of marketability, audience, and production concepts within their short time with us and recognising opportunities that exist for exciting careers outside of the main centres or office-based roles.

Trends Update – September 2022

 


Resources & Research Sources


Starting A New Project – We’d Love to Help

What Impacts Pricing For Inclusions?

Product Pricing Header Image
 
Sugar Boiled Kibble Category Image - Spilt jar of Cherry Kibble

Formulation/Recipe

Some ingredients are premium priced compared to others. Isomalt is a premium raw product compared to sugar, so it makes sense that Sugar Free Inclusions are premium priced compared to their sugar based counterparts.

Comparison of small kibble large kibble and small balls - boiled sugar range

Shape & Processing Time

How long things take to make and the shape of the finished goods means there is a specific layer of processing time. The various cooling processes, cooking times, and non-mechanical processing including the speed of processing the formulation at the required shape and size.

Technician comparing two samples of an inclusion for colour match verification

Processing Restrictions & Testing

If your processes require additional testing or has special processing restrictions this may place extra charges or timeline restrictions onto your order increasing the required resources and cost to complete for you.

empty shipping container on wood floor with white wall

Order Volume

All inclusion products are made to order. Each product is a custom setup for processing equipment and there are strict process controls to ensure cleanliness, compliance, quality, and safety throughout production. When processing smaller orders, it means these fixed costs for production setup are spread over a smaller total volume of product.

a-freight-train-hauls-containers

Freight

As our inclusion products are priced including delivery, where you wish to send the shipment as well as the urgency of the delivery is also important. We regularly send containers to our Australian logistics warehouse, but should your production require stock with more urgency than is available via our standard freight options or under our current lead times, airfreight is often available for an extra charge.

Colour sample verification on white background

Special Flavours/Colours

There are a variety of colours and flavours available from a wide range of suppliers. If your project requires a specific colour or flavour result, then the volume of these specialised ingredients will impact the overall cost.

Confectionery Coatings - RSPO Certified Sustainable Palm Oil and Cocoa Butter on white background

Coating

Coatings have a range of options and purposes and is an extra processing step. The type and volume of coating can impact the production process including manufacturing time and ingredient costings.

4 Types of Popcorn in mixed Pile

Smallest Size

When a product is created it is then sized into what is needed for your application the smallest required size with your finished product. The more inclusive the smallest size of product acceptable (down to 0mm – dust) the more cost effective the production process.

3002 Natural Caramel Fudge Pieces in scoop

Largest Size

The size range that is required for your inclusion including the largest pieces that are processable by your equipment and desired in your finished product dictates the variance in product size of the finished product. A smaller size range increases processing efforts and as such increases costs.

Ready to start? Our team are here to help

Or grab our free product development worksheets to help kickstart the process for you.

Application Inspiration: Muffins

application inspiration - Muffins header image with salted caramel muffins and tray on white background and loose inclusions
3017 Muffin application styled
Salted Caramel Fudge Pieces in Chocolate Muffins

Delicious inclusions are an exciting part of new and captivating products. With brand crossovers, collaborations and remixes regularly appearing it’s exciting to find new ways to translate customer favourite flavours from one application to another, extending the brand experience. Chocolate and caramel fudge are a fan favourite ice cream flavour, so we remixed it into a morning tea and cold-weather snack – muffins.

Looking to create something exciting in the bakery section?

White Chocolate Caramel Fudge Balls in Choc Muffins w tray loose inclusions

Contact Us

We’re here to help and have experience with a variety of products in various situations.

Your difference is the difference. Be it temperature, moisture, time, or other unique and challenging features of your inclusion, our team is here to help you find a great tasting option that will spark excitement in your target market that suits the variables of your production process.

New Product Development Process

New Product Development Process Header Image with large jars of multiple inclusions on white background

So what is involved when working with FoodFlo to develop an inclusion specific to your needs?

Firstly, we would work through your requirements and processes to see what your requirements are and the capabilities of your systems. It is also important to understand your timelines and volumes for the project.  

Our standard lead time applies for projects where we have a pre-existing formulation, but we may require extra time for specialised ingredients or flavours. Knowing what your launch window or project windows are to help start the planning processes and timelines.

We pull together as many details as possible and discuss your price point to help prepare a solution that is likely to be most successful.

Our new product development team meets together and discusses options for development and prioritises formulations in our trial schedule to fit in as many trials as possible. To help speed up the decision-making process and get the best value out of the available trial space our team will often pull samples for your consideration of products in a similar size, with colour or flavour inspiration for your review. This will help steer and further refine the development process allowing the team to create the final solution with greater speed and accuracy.

softkibble-cookiedough-fudgeball comparison in piles with single inclusion item shown for size similarity and texture difference
Mixed Inclusions all inspired by a similar size, flavour, and colour

From that point, our team will take your feedback on the reference samples sent earlier, combine them with our extensive knowledge and access to technical documents and recipes to create a trial product suitable for testing in a production scale trial. This ensures consistent outcomes from equipment and processes that are going to match finished product results and allows our team to correctly calculate the pricing and any additional processing requirements needed because of the new formulation.

This sample then gets sent to your review.

By asking the questions we do ahead of time (to help prepare, consider checking out the inclusions development workbook or one-page check sheet) we can help condense the product development process and avoid critical hurdles later in the process.

Food Trends of The Post-Covid Era

Food Trends Post Covid Header image with screenshot from video in article

Now that there is a structure for a return to global activity with Covid vaccines rolling out across the world, it is interesting to see the trends that have started to appear.

The top 4 food trends we see as sticking around longer than travel restrictions are:

Hygiene

commercial manufacturing with tight controls and regulations are appealing as people look to minimize points of contact and contamination with their daily diet.

Here at FoodFlo, we are audited to the international BRC standard and hold an AA rating.

Partnering with suppliers that take the same level of care that we do, is one step we take to ensure food safety and integrity through the process.

Surge in Snacking

who hasn’t been on a Zoom where someone snuck a quick bite or had a snack on the desk. The comforting sensation of snacking as a way to manage emotional and physical needs.

Sourdough recipes have given way to “have you tried that new flavour of chocolate bar yet?” and “Look what just showed up in my latest delivery”  or shared alongside a moment of “little indulgence” and “deserved after the day I just had”.

Delivery/Click & Collect

Online first, rather than on the shelf/impulse. The positioning of the item to sell online as well as on-shelf or in-store means that many are first coming across an item in a promotion online or browsing digital shopping options rather than in the store.

Plant-aware – vegan and dairy-free formulations

As many nations grappled with multiple lockdowns, more people are looking to adjust their food choices for both dietary and ecological preferences.

Brands are using this to position products to appeal to a wide range of people, rather than just those adhering to specific dietary requirements, and develop products with these restrictions in place that appeal to consumers that are considering making these choices rather than living by them strictly.

Here at FoodFlo, we deal with quality inclusions daily and look forward to working with you on your next product development or reformulation. Please get in touch with one of our team, we would love to help you delight and excite your customer.

Further Reading

https://www.candyindustry.com/articles/89409-adms-2021-top-5-food-trends-were-shaped-by-covid-19

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/2020-food-trends-revealed-how-covid-changed-the-way-we-eat/JNJNN77TCZGAKFWQO7LD2QLPTE/

https://www.farmprogress.com/farm-life/pandemic-impacts-consumer-attitudes-about-food?utm_source=Bibblio&utm_campaign=Related

https://www.farmprogress.com/marketing/how-covid-19-has-changed-consumer-food-trends

Small Size, Big Flavour

Small size - big flavour header with four jars of inclusions on white background

Small inclusions throughout a product are seen as generous and abundant and a great way to introduce inclusions to your products across a range of applications. Small-sized inclusions can still add large contrast or flavour to a project with traditional and creative options available to suit your needs.

Small inclusions are great for applications like chocolate, ice cream, bakery and more.

Regardless of your requirements, our team are here to help create the right mix for your needs.

Featured Inclusions

All our products are made to order so if you don’t see what you need here, let our team know, we would love to help.

Inclusion Workbook – Free Download

Inclusion Workbook Cover Art Mockups on Tablet, phone and book

After feedback from our customers on our inclusion one-page worksheet, we have expanded this into a workbook that includes some of the finer details that impact the bigger picture and ask the questions that help refine your needs into a digestible conversation. No matter what your decision-making process for inclusions, or the tools you use to help decide, the FoodFlo team are here to help.

Inclusion Workbook Cover Art Mockups on Tablet, phone and book