GLOBAL – Tate & Lyle, a global leader in ingredient solutions, has published a report titled The Future of Mouthfeel, which identifies nine emerging trends shaping the food and beverage industry.
The report provides key insights to help brands and manufacturers innovate and reformulate products while addressing changing consumer demands.
Mouthfeel, a critical sensory element encompassing texture, taste, and overall sensation, plays a pivotal role in consumer food preferences.
According to the report, achieving the right mouthfeel is essential for unlocking taste, which remains the primary driver of consumer choice.
The report emphasizes the evolving drivers of innovation, including affordability, clean labels, healthier options, and sustainability, all of which influence the texture and mouthfeel of food products.
Tate & Lyle highlights the challenges formulators face in three areas: retaining mouthfeel during cost optimization, regaining mouthfeel when reformulating products for cleaner labels or healthier profiles, and innovating with new textures to create engaging sensory experiences.
In collaboration with research firm Kantar, Tate & Lyle identified nine mouthfeel trends, including hyper-crunch, mouthfeel mimicry, convenience and shelf-proof mouthfeel, next-gen naturality, multi-layered mouthfeel, and climate-proof food.
These trends reflect shifts in consumer behavior driven by factors such as busier lifestyles, climate change, and the demand for healthier alternatives.
Marina Di Migueli, Global Marketing Director for Texturants and Proteins at Tate & Lyle, noted the importance of adapting to these trends for long-term success.
“Brands that succeed in the long-term will be those bringing new, exciting textures to market and, more importantly, those that can anticipate and adapt to changes affecting taste and mouthfeel,” she said.
The publication of The Future of Mouthfeel follows Tate & Lyle’s acquisition of CP Kelco, a global supplier of pectin and specialty gums.
This acquisition will enhance Tate & Lyle’s capabilities in sweetening, mouthfeel, and fortification, aligning with the growing demand for healthier and more sustainable products.
In addition, the company recently partnered with Manus, a bio-alternatives scale-up platform, to launch the Natural Sweetener Alliance.
This initiative introduces locally sourced, bioconverted stevia Reb M in the U.S., expanding access to natural sugar reduction solutions.
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