Innovative flavours key to product success

The fish sausage, which features in a Datamonitor product roundup, was developed by Japanese firm Nippon Suisan Kaisha and is designed to appeal to children. The product is said to have the same flavour as traditional fish sausages, but features a lingering strawberry flavour.

Another interesting use of flavour is the Appelmoes-Compote varietyof the Captain Iglo line of Stuffed Chicken Filets. Launched in Belgium, these frozen filets have been stuffed with an applesauce filling.

Like the strawberry fish sausages, this product is targeted towards children and also features a sweet and savoury food mix.

These products highlight the fact that the youth market is increasingly being seen as a lucrative sector. According to an earlier Datamonitor study, younger consumers are constantly acquiring greater autonomous spending power and developing brand awareness and loyalty at a younger age.

Another definable trend is of course the move towards healthier eating. Food makers have been keen to tap this trend while at the same time offer consumers flavours associated with luxury and decadence. Over 25,640 new food products were launched in Europe last year, with a staggering 4,365 of them claiming to be premium.

Food Science Innovations for example has introduced a new line of ice cream that it claims is healthier than traditional ice cream. But while emphasising health benefits such as being low in fat and sugar - it is sweetened with Splenda - it also advertises itself as being anindulgent product.

This could prove to be a lucrative strategy. According to the earlier Datamonitor study, although 90 per cent of European and US consumers agree that improving health is important, 55 per cent admit to enjoying "small indulgences to escape the pressures of everyday life"​.

As a result the ice cream range features non-healthy sounding flavours such as cookie dough, chocolate with caramel and chocolate.

Datamonitor also mentions a French company looking to tap this trend. Leroux's Glace a la Chicoree is a single-serve ice cream flavoured with the herb chicory, which has traditionally been used as a coffee substitute.

Although other ice creams have contained chicory root extract as an ingredient, it is perhaps one of the first times that a chicory-flavoured ice cream has appeared on the market.

Datamonitor also highlights the fact that food makers are increasingly looking to put an innovative spin on traditional snacks and dishes. Jay Robb Enterprises for example has launched Jay Robb's Yammit, which is promoted as "the world's first, high-energy sweet potato nugget"​.

This sweet potato product is claimed to be a good source of slow releasing, high energy giving carbohydrates, which taste similar to sweet corn flakes. The manufacturer suggests the nuggets are eaten as a snack, sprinkled over salads, or added to yoghurt or recipes.