For millennia, humans have used seasonings to enhance the flavor of their food.
Since the dawn of civilization, salt was instrumental in shaping intercontinental alliances and trade routes and ensuring we cooked and ate food that delivered the necessary nutrients and good taste. Roman soldiers were often paid with salt instead of money. In fact, the word “salary” is derived from the Latin for salt. Salt is precious to us. To this day, many otherwise rational people are superstitious about spilling even a tiny amount of the precious mineral.
As our palates and our cooking techniques evolved, we came to crave other seasonings that would allow us to explore the flavors of other cultures and find joy in the spice of life.
Today, that demand for new flavors and seasonings is greater than ever. Our appetite and access surrounding seasonings extends far beyond salt and represents one of the most important sectors in the food manufacturing space.
The North American seasonings and spices market is forecast to reach $7.3 billion by 2025 with a compound annual growth rate of 4.07%.
It’s not hard to see why. The right seasoning can round out a complete flavor profile, and creative seasoning combinations can generate what some may call an obsession (we’re looking at you, pumpkin spice). From addicting snacks and crackers to baked goods, readymade meals and dips and dressings, seasonings can make or break a product’s impact in the marketplace.
As food manufacturers explore these new and enhanced seasonings applications, they’re increasingly finding themselves navigating complex flavor trends brought about by the pandemic and shifting consumer preferences.
In many cases, the trends driving product demand are forcing manufacturers to make tough choices when it comes to R&D priorities and product formulations. As COVID-19 uprooted daily routines, heightened stress levels and increased time spent at home, many people also made big changes to their shopping and eating habits, with shifts in flavor preferences at the forefront of these transformations. Recently, these new preferences appear to be at odds.
Consumers crave familiar, comfortable flavors as well as exciting new options. They’re looking for indulgent and extravagant treats and healthy, clean-label options.
It puts food manufacturers in a challenging spot and raises the stakes for seasonings to deliver on flavor and promised health benefits. A bag of potato chips with sour cream and onion seasoning better have that familiar flavor and crunch. A snack pack marketed as a filling meal replacement with clean-label ingredients has to deliver on those promises. Otherwise, consumers will look elsewhere. There are simply too many iconic classics and new favorites to choose from for subpar products with subpar seasonings to make the cut.
Food manufacturers looking to make an impact with new products and updated seasonings are increasingly turning to custom seasoning manufacturers and fresh formulations to ensure their offerings satisfy evolving consumer demands. By adjusting the makeup of bulk seasonings and blends, companies can innovate new flavor combinations and enhance existing formulations to generate a competitive edge. Base seasonings are brought to life through detailed flavor matching, rapid prototyping and refined testing in key demographics and markets.
As an industrial seasoning manufacturer, Bluegrass Ingredients serves as that critical partner for leading food manufacturers seeking to find and formulate flavors that grow their bottom lines. In addition to a comprehensive line of standard seasonings, our experts work closely with clients to innovate and improve winning combinations.
Our partnerships are rooted in collaboration – we work to ensure our expertise in flavors translates to enhanced products and profits that satisfy target markets. We specialize in small batch prototyping with lower minimum order quantities than the competition.
Our seasoning blends and custom formulations satisfy emerging trends and rising demands for clean-label products, plant-based options, filling meal replacements and more, while adhering to manufacturer specifications for texture, taste and application performance.
