Unlocking the latest flavour trends
Each year, manufacturers have to adapt to the changing food and flavour trends around the world. Looking back through 2024, a number of trends stand out due to their lasting impact across the global food industry, many of which we can anticipate will continue to grow throughout 2025. For example, flavouring of plant-based food has dominated the market for the last few years.
With evolving consumer tastes and increasing technological advancements, manufacturers face a challenging yet exciting landscape that demands innovation. Read on to discover which trends will continue this year, and to uncover how Ohly can support you with innovation and excellence in food production.
Global cuisines and flavours
As consumers seek more diverse, authentic flavour experiences, product developers are increasingly turning to global culinary influences. Ingredients and techniques from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America are gaining traction more spices and fermented vinegars appearing in mainstream products. This cross-cultural fusion is driving innovation in food manufacturing, encouraging developers to experiment with bold, global flavours.
Fermented vinegar flavours, commonly found in Asian-influenced dishes, can be incorporated into dry-rubs, marinades, sauces and dressings. Ohly’s PRODRY® dry vinegar powders are an effective flavour delivery ingredient, as they provide the same sharp, tangy notes of liquid vinegars but in a convenient free-flowing powder which is easy to integrate into recipes. PRODRY® culinary hot sauce powders can also be used to deliver a range of spice profiles to seasonings, coatings and glazes. With varieties made from fresh mustard or Cajun-inspired cayenne pepper sauce, these powders provide authentic flavours and evoke those global influences. As consumers embrace multicultural tastes, manufacturers can adapt and develop authentic flavours with these accessible, versatile and convenient powders.
Harmonising sweet and savoury notes
The trend of combining sweet and savoury elements is gaining momentum as consumers seek more complex, balanced flavours. This has seen manufacturers explore ways to extend the sweet and salty concept beyond salted caramel to introduce more complexity for example by adding umami to traditional sweet applications like ice cream or other desserts.
Ingredients like OHLY® FLAV-R-MAX 19 are perfect to highlight savoury noties and bring umami mouthfeel to sweet treats. Honey powder and balsamic vinegar powder are also a popular solution for creating these dynamic flavour profiles. Ohly’s PRODRY® honey powders and PRODRY® NCP ACETUM® Powder of Balsamic Vinegar of Moderna provide a touch of sweetness for products looking to achieve the perfect balance of sweet and savoury flavour profiles.
These dried powders offer several benefits, including consistent moisture levels and ease of use. This allows precise control over flavour intensity without the risk of altering texture. By incorporating sweet-savoury combinations with PRODRY® powders, manufacturers can develop stand-out products. These products can deliver rich, multidimensional tastes while maintaining convenience and consistency in production, making them ideal for snacks, sauces, and even ready-to-eat meals.
Traditional and nostalgic flavours
The resurgence of classic flavours reflects a growing desire for comfort and familiarity in food. Nostalgic, ‘cosy’ tastes, such as sweet vanilla and roasted notes, are still valued in modern food products as consumers seek emotional connections with familiar flavours from their past. According to research from Innova, 44% of consumers globally agree that traditional and nostalgic flavours strongly influence their food and beverage choices, highlighting how timeless tastes continue to resonate with modern preferences.
Ohly’s specialty yeast-based flavours are great tools for manufacturers seeking to bring out nostalgic flavours and textures in their food. With ingredients like OHLY® BFT, even plant-based products can invoke traditional roast meats. Those delicious roasted meat notes also work well with poultry, pork and beef-based recipes for sauces, gravies and dry seasonings. For a really authentic chicken flavour, OHLY® SAV-R-MEAT PBD is ideal to deliver the dark chicken meaty notes and perception of succulence with long-lasting umami sensation. This is particularly useful for developing plant-based versions of family favourites like chicken nuggets.
Health conscious: reduced sugar and salt
There is a growing demand for healthier food options, especially those with reduced sugar and salt. According to the 2024 HealthFocus Global Trend Study, 71% of global consumers (and 65% in the US) now prefer products with less sweetness. Reducing sugar remains the No. 1 dietary priority globally (57%) and in the US (58%). This shift is driving manufacturers towards solutions such as yeast extracts and yeast-based flavours, which can help balance taste while reducing sugar and salt content.
OHLY® FLAV-R-MAX and PROVESTA® 512 are both helpful solutions to elevate flavour richness and mask off-notes reducing the need for sodium in recipes for soups, sauces, condiments and dressings. In fact, yeast-based solutions can support salt content reduction of up to 40%, without compromising on taste. This makes them ideal for products marketed as healthier alternatives to classic recipes. With these innovative solutions, it’s possible to reduce sugar and salt while still delivering satisfying, flavourful products.
Cocoa crisis: retaining rich chocolate taste
The ongoing cocoa shortage is significantly impacting the industry, driving producers to seek innovative ways to maintain the rich, chocolatey taste consumers know and love. Roasted, chocolatey notes remain ever-popular, with new offerings like flavoured hot chocolates, frozen ‘hot’ chocolates, and unique mochas gaining popularity.
For manufacturers wishing to reduce the amount of cocoa in their recipes, yeast extracts such as OHLY® KTD and OHLY® KTDD offer a novel solution by amplifying rich chocolatey notes. As the shortage continues, innovation is crucial to adapt and ensure products remain appealing to consumers, requiring manufacturers to explore alternative ingredients and new flavour profiles without compromising on quality or taste.
Enhancing meaty notes for vegan alternatives
As consumers increasingly seek vegetarian and plant-based options, there is a growing need for solutions to mask the off-notes of plant proteins and deliver authentic meaty flavours. Manufacturers can utilise Ohly’s vegan yeast-based ingredients to deliver satisfying, realistic flavours that appeal to both plant-based and meat-eating consumers. OHLY® FLAV-R-OUND LS can be used to provide strong rounded umami and improve mouthfeel. For roasted notes that are more reminiscent of red meat, OHLY® BOT LS can be used to impart meaty notes and extend savoury umami flavours in plant-based products. Yeast-based solutions effectively achieve robust savoury profiles, bringing umami and depth of flavour to plant-based options.
Why choose Ohly for flavour delivery?
The food and beverage industry continues to be shaped by a growing demand for healthy, natural ingredients and innovations in flavour. To stay competitive, manufacturers must keep up with these trends by adopting cutting-edge solutions to meet evolving consumer preferences. Choosing these innovative ingredients can ensure your products remain at the forefront of the industry.
To find out more about how Ohly’s flavour delivery products can help your recipes to keep up with the latest trends, get in touch with us today and request a sample.