‘Would you be interested in trying foods with different textures?’, we asked thousands of consumers across 44 countries. Globally, 67 percent said they were indeed keen on sampling innovative products with a fluffy or creamy mouthfeel or a chewy or crispy bite. This presents manufacturers with a whole array of potential product developments.
European producers take the lead
Europe leads the way in product launches laden with texture descriptions. Mintel research shows that European companies and brands are using on-pack descriptions the most. Carbonated drinks, creamy dairy products and juicy fruits, for instance, are touted for their textural qualities. Product developments such as desserts with chia seeds and kombucha with sediment at the bottom also focus a lot of attention on mouthfeel as well as taste. And in the bakery industry, there’s a lot of focus on texture coming from natural processing techniques such as fermentation for sourdough products.
Asian consumers are most interested in textural food
Although European food producers pay a lot of attention to texture in their product releases, consumer interest in trying food with new textures is highest in the Asia-Pacific region where, according to our Taste Tomorrow research, over three in four people were eager to do so. This is in line with their general interest in trying new and unusual tastes (67 percent) and exotic flavors from other parts of the world (66 percent). Both of these figures are significantly higher than the worldwide average.
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