Tyler Shepke, R&D manager/certified food scientist/chemist for Excalibur Seasoning, shares some insights on what’s influencing flavor profiles for meat, poultry and seafood products.

What flavors are trending for meat and poultry products?

Let me first start off with saying that it’s not as simple as this flavor or that flavor that is trending, but more a trend back toward a meat-centered diet -- meat that is sustainably sourced and free of chemicals/hormones and other additives. I am also seeing things trending toward more traditional flavor profiles, as there has been a shift in that direction due to the rising costs of foodstuffs -- including meat -- and people are looking for those flavors that remind them of growing up. I think there is a strong correlation between that and the cost of the product. Those flavor profiles that were popular when food was cheaper – we are associating the two together, and I believe that is driving the trend more in that direction, to those more traditional flavorings used in meat, minus the extra additives, chemicals and hormones. Paralleling this trend, the consumer is also looking for a more “farm to table” source for their meat. More information has come to light in the past few years regarding food regimes or diets like the carnivore diet and its positive health benefits, and I think that is also a driving factor. I would say the top key indicators or trends relating to meat are the following:

• sustainability
• health and wellness
• technology integration
• supply chain resilience
• changing consumer behavior
• social media influence

With that being said, there is still a market for new trendy flavors being introduced that usually follows the order of inception (fine dining, mixology, etc.), adoption (trendy restaurants, specialty grocers), proliferation (chain restaurants, mainstream grocery), and ubiquity (find it just about anywhere). I would say outside of the traditional flavor or our past, some macro trends we are seeing are:

• botanical and herbal infusions like basil, mint, rosemary and thyme
• spice blends – more specifically, Middle Eastern spices such as tikka masala and butter chicken, and Asian fusion like gochujang, yuzu, tamarind and lemongrass
• functional ingredients – turmeric and ginger
• umami-rich and savory profiles – miso and tamari
• smoke, charred and grilled flavors – charred pineapple or grilled peach
• spice and heat infusions – bold and spicy flavors infused with hot peppers like harissa and other exotic spice blends.

What flavor innovations for bacon are energizing the category?

Bacon is a great example of these flavor trends, both moving to a more traditional profile, as well as incorporating some new ideas. We are seeing a lot of bacon products that are sticking to the maple and hickory smoke. However, we are also seeing bacon being flavored with alternative sugar sources that can impart subtle differences in taste and caramelization when cooked, as well as, incorporating a plethora of unique smoked and charred flavors that are not traditionally seen with bacon.

How can flavorings help processors with their clean-label goals?

Flavorings are a great way to stand out amongst the crowd, while still highlighting certain clean-label goals. This is currently accomplished with the variety of options available to flavor meat that come from clean sources and have clean ingredient labels, that have also become more affordable to seasoning manufacturers, as opposed to when they were first introduced. The processor carries the reins and can go as far as their imagination wants or keep it more traditional, depending upon who they are selling too and what they are trying to accomplish. There are clean-label options available for just about anything as it currently sits.

How do flavors intersect with a product’s health AND wellness attributes?

Flavors can play a vital role in the health/wellness attributes of a food item -- flavors such as turmeric, ginger, oregano and mint. There are endless studies showing the health benefits as it pertains to their antioxidant activity, positive effects on the heart and circulatory system, minerals and vitamins, gut microbiome, and so much more. I believe this trend back to more traditional flavors and flavor sources, simplifying the flavor profiles while enhancing them at the same time due to unique mixtures and blends, is a great direction for our overall health. There is a strong intersection between the two and I foresee that continuing far into the future.

What trends are you seeing in flavors for seafood products?

I am seeing a trend towards fruity and umami flavors in seafood products. Flavors such as mango, yuzu, lemongrass, tamari and seaweed. Seafood pairs great with fruity and umami flavors and is a great carrier of such flavors. It is akin to working with a clean slate. I also think that it is following the trend as it pertains to using unique peppers to highlight in a blend that is otherwise a traditional flavoring for seafood. These unique peppers also pair nicely with fruity or umami flavors where you can get a sweet and hot, or sweet and savory flavor experience.