A lot has been said about Gen Z and Millenials in recent years, some of it positive, much of it less than flattering.
But one thing is certain: they know what they want, they want it all, and they want it now. This is especially true when it comes to scratching that itch for something sweet.
If you’re not convinced, the numbers from a study by The Center for Generation Kinetics paint a pretty persuasive picture.
They found that among Gen Z & Millennials:
- 47% have a favourite restaurant they go to only for desserts.
- 75% believe that every special occasion needs a special dessert.
- 87% think about eating dessert at least once a day.
Still, even with an insatiable sweet tooth, these generations want more from their sweets, which often means less of what makes them sweet.
When I looked at Why Snacking “Hits Different” for Gen Z and Millennials, I noted that while Gen Z prefers sweets slightly more than their elder counterparts, 39% of this age group says too much sugar is something they avoid when choosing what sweet snacks to buy.
But it’s not just less sugar they’re after.
These younger generations give a higher priority to natural and Certified Organic products and are helping to lead the charge for cleaner labels.
And while 55% of all shoppers see a need for more legislation to achieve cleaner labels, that number jumps to 72% for Gen Z.
While we all may agree that less sugar and cleaner labels are a good thing, if these generations get that cake, will they still want to eat it, too?
Cleaner Labels, Messier Developments?
Developers across the industry are looking for ways to give this group of consumers exactly what they’re asking for.
Replacing artificial ingredients with real fruit, substituting agave syrup or other natural sweeteners for high-fructose corn syrup, or adding functional or better-for-you ingredients are just a few ways companies are looking to meet these demands.
Many of these formulations may look good on paper, but the truth is that most of us don’t eat paper.
Sarcasm aside, the point is that many of these changes and ingredient swaps improve the label but can make it harder to meet consumer taste expectations, among other challenges.
This in no way means that we shouldn’t do it; in fact, it’s becoming increasingly necessary that we do. However, it’s crucial to understand the challenges that these changes pose.
Everything from a lack of standardized taste profiles from all-natural ingredients to shelf stability impacts from ingredient swaps, and even functional and textural issues can be enough to go from being a green flag to giving these consumers the ick.
Reducing or removing sugar can also have many of the same issues.
Non-nutritive sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit, for example, may not come with the calories but may bring lingering sweetness and metallic or other off-notes.
Again, this doesn’t have to be alarming or a reason to feel like you’re catfishing consumers with clean-label claims.
Finding the Sweet Spot™ With Flavours
At Edlong, with a wide range of natural, vegan, and Whole Foods Compliant flavours, we can help alleviate the burden brought on by these formulation challenges.
One way is to help deal with off-notes, either by masking or finding profiles that can work with the inherent characteristics of your clean ingredients.
Another strength of flavours is their ability to help standardize a product’s profile. Adding natural cream or milk flavours to an ice cream can help ensure that each pint tastes as consistently indulgent as the last.
Our wide range of international cheese and butter profiles can help to add excitement and authenticity to any line of clean-label products.
Of course, we can’t forget about our versatile Sweet Spot™ technology. These unique flavours help enhance existing sweetness without adding sugar, which allows developers to optimize reduced-sugar applications where existing sugar exists—a true game-changer.
These younger generations might be asking for a lot, but with the right flavour-focused approach, they’ll be the ones saying you ate and left no crumbs.
About the Author: Emily Sheehan, Applications Manager, EMEA
Hi! I’m Emily Sheehan. I’m the Applications Manager, EMEA at Edlong, and my job is rooted in creating exciting new possibilities for our people and processes. It’s inspiring to reflect on how much Edlong has achieved and even more amazing to be involved in such thoughtful innovation. We enjoy pushing boundaries in food and flavour, and we welcome everyone in the food industry to join us. If you’re in need of expertise or inspiration, I’d love to collaborate and help you design flavour solutions that resonate with consumers!
Topics: DessertsSweet Spot
Resource Type: Article
Resource Region: EU