Product Development Focus: American Favorites

A modern twist sees old American favorites stand out from the crowd

Revamped versions of all American favorites - ketchup, peanut butter and ice cream – were the real big hitters at the Mintel International product tasting sessions at the 2007 Institute for Food Technologists (IFT) expo in Chicago.

New kids on the block, acai from the Amazon and goji berries from Asia, also proved themselves must-have ingredients for future star products.

During the Mintel International tasting sessions, over 1000 food and beverage experts cast their vote on their favorite of the 150 new products sampled during the event.  These sessions focused on three specific food trends – free-from foods, emerging flavors and food for improved brain function.

Free-from foods:  Foods that are free from or have a reduced content of know allergens such as lactose or gluten.  Free-from foods are often seen as better for you and in the future these products will undoubtedly benefit from general health and wellness trends.  We could even see them become part of the cultural fabric, in the same way that vegetarianism has done in Europe.

In this category the three top products were all reworks of traditional American favorites.

Taking the top spot was Breyer’s lactose-free, all natural vanilla ice cream, which is made with real vanilla bean specks.  In second place was Great Value Peanut Free Smooth Soy Butter from Wal-Mart, which as well as being peanut free, has no trans fats and is free from cholesterol and gluten. In third place is that cannot-live-without condiment: ketchup. Soma‘s Nomato in the UK is a tomato-free ketchup made from ingredients including carrots, concentrated apple and beetroot juices.

Plants such as tomatoes, potatoes, aubergines, chilli peppers and tobacco contain nightshade alkaloids, which are naturally occurring compounds found in these plants and can impact nerve-muscle and digestive functions. As a result an increasing number of people are choosing to avoid nightshades.

Emerging flavors: From the emerging flavors section, the power of superfoods was clear. Voted most popular in this category was the new energy drink from Anheuser Busch - 180 Red with goji berry. This is a new energy drink with a refreshing, slightly sweet cherry taste balanced with subtle tartness and is aimed at on-the-go adults.  In second place was Bissinger's Naturas Chocolate Covered Black Sesame Crunch. And in third place was Bolthouse Bom Dia Antioxident Rich Juice in an acai berry and mangotees flavor. It is said to be all natural and healthy, to be rich in antioxidant vitamin C and to contain nutrients for vibrant health.

Superfoods are products inherently rich in a variety of healthful ingredients, such as antioxidants, that can improve health or ward off disease.  Because of this, we have seen a huge increase in the number and the kinds of products containing superfoods, such as acai and goji berries.

Brain function: As you might expect, in the brain function category, two of the top products contained Omega-3, which is said to help brain development. Yoplait Kids low-fat yogurts with Omega-3 DHA in first place and Tropicana Essentials' Orange juice with Omega-3 in third were launched in the U.S. and Canada respectively.  In second place was Lucozade Energy's Sparkling Apple Flavour drink from the U.K., which is designed to sharpen mental performance and provide an energy boost with the assistance of glucose.

We have seen rapid growth in products that highlight their ability to improve brain function in the past year or so. And while many of the products focus on babies and children, there is clearly an unexploited market for these products targeting older adults and working executives who need short term energy boosts for the brain.

The Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD) tracks new product launches, trends, and ingredients and innovations internationally. For additional information about GNPD, visit www.gnpd.com or call Mintel International at 312-932-0600.

September 2007