Whether crunchy, soft, creamy or chewy, mouthfeel is a significant contributor to a consumers' food and drink experience. But how should it be considered at the R&D stages, and what are the top nine trends manufacturers should keep their eyes on, heading into 2025?
“Mouthfeel is part of the overall ‘taste experience’. It is the texture and sensation you experience when consuming your favourite food and beverages. This includes how food looks, tastes, sounds and feels in your mouth,” explains Tate & Lyle global marketing director for texturants and proteins, Marina Di Migueli.
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Together, the sensations combine to create a full eating experience and is vital to not only mouthfeel and taste, but also the ensuring consumers return to a product, Tate & Lyle advises in its The Future of Mouthfeel report.
Trend one: hyper-crunch
Crunch in crisps, sugar-coated chocolate or fried chicken give consumers a sense of freshness and vibrancy.
More common in savoury foods, Tate & Lyle predicts crunch will become important in the sweet sector next year.
“Tomorrow, crunch will appear more frequently in sweet categories with more exotic twists. We can see examples in creations such as a viral chocolate with crispy kunafa filling (also known as “Dubai chocolate”) or the “crackle coffee”, iced coffee cups coated with a layer of chocolate that crackles when you squeeze the cup," the report says.
Trend two: air
An increasing demand for physically lighter foods will allow manufacturers the opportunity to develop products that melt in the mouth or provide bubbly sensations.
These two sensations evoke indulgent and calming mouthfeels, with lots of space for innovation.
“Today, air is used in puffed and popped snacks, baked goods, desserts, and beverages. The ‘air trend’ will increasingly enter households through alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages – the ‘nitro’ trend seen in some beers migrated to be seen in coffee beverages and even soda," says the report.
“Canned flavoured foams help consumers elevate their ‘barista’ experience at home adding lightness to coffee.”
Trend three: multi-layered mouthfeel
One texture sometimes doesn’t cut it for consumers who are increasingly searching for new and memorable food and drink experiences.
Combining mouthfeels can cater to these demands, such as pairing crunchy with soft or dry with wet.
“In the future, multiple textures will interact with one another to deliver an ever-changing experience to excite all the senses, such as cracker candy with three layers – saltine crackers, toffee, and chocolate, or ramen soup dumplings that increasingly incorporate more than one experience," says the report.
Trend four: next-gen naturally
Aligned with the movement towards clean and cleaner labels, this trends focuses on bringing consumers products that deliver on expected mouthfeels, but with recognisable ingredients lists.
The next-gen naturality trend taps into the growing desire for food that feels real, made with a home-cooked feel and ingredients people recognise and trust, Tate & Lyle says.
Cleaner labels must be balanced with the consumer need for fuller sensory experiences, which in turn deliver on appeal. Techniques like freeze-drying and natural thickeners can be employed to meet these needs.
Trend five: convenience and shelf-proof mouthfeel
While consumers are looking for healthier options or products made with recognisable ingredients, they’re also leading increasingly busier lifestyles and demand products to help save them time.
The demand for convenience is soaring, but consumers refuse to compromise on taste or mouthfeel. They expect ready meals, snacks, and small dishes that maintain texture – even after extended shelf life, the report says.
“For innovators, the path forward involves addressing a number of formulation requirements: retaining freshness and the feeling of a home-cooked meal texture in foods that are shelf-stable, or frozen and thawed a number of times, whilst being easy to prepare,” it continues.
Convenience and Shelf Proof Mouthfeel in action
- Campbell’s Sipping Soups – smooth, shelf-stable soups for on-the-go consumption.
- Franco Manca cook-at-home pizza – convenient frozen pizzas with the same crispy and chewy crust of Neapolitan pizzas they serve at their restaurants.
- Ramen Raijin – frozen ramen kits preserving authentic noodle chew. During the pandemic, when customers couldn’t join them in restaurants, Ramen Raijin developed a frozen ramen kit with a winning formulation to be able to scale the delivery of ramen, while preserving the key mouthfeel attributes such as the chewiness of the noodles.
Trend six: mouthfeel mimicry
Again, while manufacturers face increasing consumer pressure to make products that are better for them and the environment, consumers refuse to compromise on taste and mouthfeel.
“Mouthfeel mimicry offers innovators opportunities to create indulgent products that prioritise health and affordability. As traditional ingredients rise in cost, exploring alternative options becomes essential,” the report says.
To do this, makers must recreate products that mimic mouthfeels, like dairy’s creamy richness or the juicy, tenderness of meat.
“That requires skilfully combining plant proteins, fats and stabilisers to achieve the desired mouthfeel without sacrificing flavour,” it adds.
Trend seven: veggie celebration
Vegetables haven’t been forgotten by consumers, but they don’t want the hassle of peeling, chopping and cooking them themselves. Although, they still demand the fresh, vibrant, crunchy and satisfying textures they bring.
“While dietary trends fluctuate between whole foods and processed foods, a growing focus on health means consumers today are focusing on eating a greater quantity and wider variety of veggies - both for themselves and their children,” says the report.
But the vegetable can be introduced to consumers' diets in many ways, from vegetable crisps to products being made with – or incorporating – ingredients like chickpea flours and even pre-chopped vegetables as crudités for small plates or picky party foods.
Trend eight: blissfully boosted
Foods have to do good, as well as taste good, also known as healthy indulgence.
“The blissfully boosted trend is redefining food by blending exceptional indulgence with added functional benefits, allowing consumers to enjoy their favourite flavours alongside added health support,” says Tate & Lyle.
Foods need to be indulgent and support consumers' wellness goals – a have your cake and eat it moment.
" Leading this movement are products like high-protein pasta sauces, nutrient-enriched crackers, and probiotic drinks, which combine enjoyment with nutrition by incorporating functional ingredients such as botanicals, probiotics, and plant-based proteins into familiar favourites like high-fibre breads, protein-enriched creamers, and antioxidant-rich energy drinks," explains the report.
Trend nine: climate proof food
How does climate impact food and drink texture?
“Issues include ensuring maintenance of product safety, reduced shelf life, and nutrient loss,” predicts Tate & Lyle.
“As temperatures rise, challenges such as melting, limpness, and souring increase, complicating manufacturers’ efforts to maintain expected mouthfeel. To address heat tolerance, reformulating items that currently rely on specific temperature controls will be essential.”
Frozen foods will likely be the worst impacted here, as well as chocolate and other products with relatively low melting points – or even dairy where temperature can result in texture changes.
" Manufacturers must ensure they resist heat during transport to avoid ‘heat shock’, which creates gritty ice particles and unpleasant textures. Ambient and chilled products also face challenges: higher-fat foods may become rancid, sauces can separate, and dairy products are at increased risk for bacterial growth. In baked goods, moisture loss can lead to an unappealing dry mouthfeel," the report warns.
