Pharmaceuticals 24th January 2022 6 min read

It's a Flavour World

We have seen massive changes across the world in the last 12 months, with consumers changing their views on various topics, from matters within their personal lives to nutrition and healthcare. 

People are redefining their values and rethinking their habits. We are witnessing an almost unprecedented evolution of living and working, with the experiences from the pandemic years still influencing our decisions.  

These changes create a big influence on the supplement market, and at IMCD, it’s important for us to understand and stay on top of the current trends within our industry. 

 

New customer lifestyles

Based on the Innova lifestyle and attitudes survey in 2022, it has been reported that people are turning to simple pleasures, where they enjoy the little things in their everyday, family surrounded lives. 30% of people interviewed said they are enjoying the rich taste of the ingredients they are consuming, whilst almost 46% said they are appreciating fresh, natural, and sustainable ingredients in their diets. Having an adventurous, indulgent, yet closer to home experience is expected to be a key driver in 2023. 

Few aspects of our lives have changed as much as our approach to achieving a healthier lifestyle, an area that has outgrown traditional medicines and therapies. Now when referring to health, we think about mental health being aligned with our physical health: we think about immunity alongside gut microbiome; we care about physical health in combination with wellness and active living; we worry less about getting old, and instead focus on ageing well. With digitalisation replacing globalisation, it’s easy to get lost in global trends. But how do these macro trends translate into local actions that we percept in our everyday lives? 

Welcome to the Magentaverse

Every year, Pantone selects one colour that will mark the year ahead – Viva magenta 18-1750 being the colour of 2023. This colour is a direct result of the social and economic shifts the world is undergoing and its need to experience something more. Inspired by nature, this brave, vibrant colour represents life and a pursuit for happiness. These same feelings are present amongst consumers that aim to have holistic, rich, and indulgent experiences in the comfort of their homes. As a result, we can expect this colour to dominate in 2023, even through to supplement flavours! 

It's a Flavour world

Flavours have been a constant driver for trends in all facets of our lives, from cosmetics to lifestyle and ultimately healthcare.  

Expect various types of berries like blackberries, blueberries, huckleberries, and juneberries appearing in your favorite health supplements. The more exotic acai berries, goji berries, and even physalis are also on the rise. A fruit that has been very intimately linked to Viva magenta is the dragon fruit, an authentic eastern fruit that is not only associated with longevity, but also antioxidant activity.  

It appears that strawberries are having a powerful comeback too. And if you thought that a simple lifestyle translates into a simple, single flavour, think again. The combinations of raspberry and peach, lemon and blueberry, and mango and orange are having a revival of their own.  

The Flavour and Health axis

Fruits have a close link to health categories and are identified as solutions for various conditions. At no surprise, the flavours from these fruits are affiliated with the same health categories. As an example, berry flavours are often linked with  immunity, healthy bones and skin health.   Alongside lime and strawberries, berries also have a strong association with mental health,  whilst passion fruit and tropical fruits are linked to energy and stamina. The fastest growing flavours for skin health supplements are peach, raspberry and strawberry.  

Enable third party cookies to play this video

Below you can enable third party cookies. Your choice will be saved and the page will not refresh.

Disabled

Enabled

Fruity flavours will always be present, but their position in the charts will vary year on year. Three of the top five fruit flavours are berries, namely strawberry (top), red raspberry (third), and berry (fourth), with citrus orange in second and lemon in fifth. Globally speaking, strawberry is the top flavour in all regions except Asia Pacific, where orange is the leading flavour.  

Among the growing flavours are berry flavours, blueberry and mixed berry, as well as the citrus flavour lime. Tropical fruit flavours do not feature in the top five, but they are growing in the Americas: Examples include passion fruit, mango, watermelon (North America), and pineapple (Latin America).  

Watch out for pomegranate, acai, goji, watermelon with jackfruit, hawthorn, dragon fruit and gooseberry, which are all showing a fast rise in popularity.  

 

Key Takeways

The fruit flavours to watch for are all recognised as superfoods and closely reflect the colour of the year Viva magenta. They all also have associations with the biggest health trends for 2023, including  immunity, men’s health, aesthetics and e-sports. Consumers are continuously looking for sustainable, natural and traceable flavours. Expect sustainability to be present in every aspect of your life – including your favorite health supplement. In an era where a circular economy and recyclable ingredients are increasingly valued, sustainable or natural products with traceable origins are becoming the norm.  

Superfoods are the new superheroes of plant power, with attention shifting towards experiences enjoyed within the comfort of your own home. Expect your health supplement to be vibrant and bold, and your taste experiences to be driven by the health claims that the flavours are associated with.  

IMCD can help you find the perfect ingredient for your formulation and match it with a fitting flavour. Want to know how? 

Contact us below!

References:

 

1. Trends in fruity flavours – Innova Market research 
2. Supplements for skin health – Innova Market research 
3. Gummy supplements – category analysis – Innova market research 
4. https://tastewise.io/blog/3-flavor-trends-2023 
5. https://www.perfumerflavorist.com/flavor/trends/news/22552620/adm-adm-releases-color-and-flavor-2023-trend-report 
6. https://www.snackandbakery.com/articles/99643-flavorsum-debuts-flavor-prediction-trends-for-2023 
7. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/most-searched-products/health-and-fitness/health-care/health-drinks-for-women-special-drinks-protein-powders-for-the-nutritional-needs-of-women/articleshow/70889914.cms 
8. Pantone – colour of the year 2023 

Pharmaceuticals
Nutraceuticals
Technical Centres
Creating a world of opportunity

This website uses cookies to improve your user experience

We use cookies for a variety of purposes, such as website functionality and helping target our marketing activities. Click "accept" to accept our cookies. You can change the cookie settings by clicking "change settings".