NEW YORK CITY – If you asked 100 attendees of the 2024 Summer Fancy Food Show what the hottest trend of the year was, you’d get countless different answers.
That’s what happens when the many different producers in the specialty food ecosystem come together to display their wares, which happened June 23-25 at the Javits Center.
That said, here are three noteworthy trends spotted on the show floor in New York that could impact the specialty food industry in the year to come.
Honey Has Become Ubiquitous
When it comes to sweeteners, honey seems to be having a moment, and that was on full display at the Summer Fancy Food Show.
The Savannah Bee Co. was one of several American producers displaying their products at the show, with a full line-up of gourmet honeys.
A variety of companies were also selling manuka honey, which is produced via bees that feed exclusively off a tea tree native to Australia and New Zealand. The product is said to have natural antibacterial qualities.
Additionally, honey-infused beverages were on display at the show. Notable examples included Bee’s Water from Bee’s Beverages Corporation, and honeyB Sparkling Honey Drinks. The products utilized the natural ingredient instead of sugar or other sweeteners.
‘Spicy’ Gets Even Hotter
Hot sauces were, well, hot, at the 2024 Summer Fancy Food Show. TRUFF was handing out samples of its Jalapeno Lime hot sauce; the product lines up with rising consumer demand for Latin-influenced hot flavors.
HEATONIST, the maker of the hot sauces featured on the interview program Hot Ones, also displayed their products, including an Everything Bagel Hot Sauce that promised to enhance everything from grilled chicken to hot dogs.
Honey was also linked to this trend: Mike’s Hot Honey and AR’s Hot Southern Honey both shared samples of their products which fully captured the characteristics of the swicy trend.
Elevated and Healthier Snacking
Replacing traditional snack foods with better-for-you versions has been a consumer trend for a while now, and many companies are leveraging this desire with their products.
CauliPuffs produces corn, rice, and cauliflower puffed snacks that are baked and not fried. The non-GMO, gluten-free products are made with avocado oil and were available in five varieties, including two which are vegan.
Cassava’s Snack Yuca Balls was another product aiming to meet this consumer desire on display in New York City – the gluten-free, preservative-free, and GMO-free baked product comes in both a sweet and salty version.
The Food Institute Podcast’s “Foodservice Gamechangers” Series
Get to know the men and women behind the scenes of foodservice distribution in a new, limited series from The Food Institute Podcast called “Foodservice Gamechangers.” Recently, Pat Mulhern, advisor to The Food Institute, sat down for brief conversations with seven of the most influential foodservice merchandising and distribution leaders. Highlighting their food career journeys and management styles, the conversations feature insightful thoughts on what may lie ahead for manufacturers, distributors, and operators in foodservice.
