Last week, the annual trade exhibition known as The Summer Fancy Foods Show, returned to New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Hosted by the Specialty Foods Association, the exhibit has gained widespread reputation for being the right place in which to introduce and promote the latest in food and drink innovations. Exhibiting products in previous shows has been proven effective as a springboard for small brands that hope to be catapulted into becoming the dominating food and drink brands in grocery store shelves and restaurant menus.
Among the companies that previously used The Summer Fancy Foods Show as a springboard in launching their food and drink products include Ben & Jerry’s, Honest Tea, and Tate’s Bake Shop. Prior to becoming today’s one of biggest consumer brands in the country, they too were exhibited in the trade show as a means of making their respective brands widely popular.
Food and drink products like mushrooms, sophisticated alcohol substitutes and the citrus fruit yuzu that trended in recent past shows, are now making headway as mainstream consumer items.
This year’s annual show has more than 2,400 exhibitors, which include food and drink trendsetters, specialty food retailers and restaurant operators. According to the Specialty Foods Association’s preliminary report, honey and fish products are taking center stage as current trend makers.
Honey Trending as a Popular Flavor
Green Bee for one presented its new concoction, the honey soda in Honeycomb Cider Flavor, Honey spreads from Owl Creek organics came out with different flavours like caffe mocha and lemon poppy seed. Dutch confectionery company Klepper & Klepper boasts of a new honey-flavored licorice.
Tuna Trending as the Best Source Of Protein
While social media influencers at TikTok helped promote tinned fish as a beneficial source of protein, specialty food companies are now producing tinned tuna with more flavors and trendier designs in packaging that boasts of the nutritional values of canned fish. Companies are exploiting consumers’ desire for healthy food to eat while on the go, in the form of fish flakes, Lox-in-the Box snack kits, fish cake sticks that look like cheese strings.
Upgrading Charcuterie Board with New Salami Varieties
Salami makers have been exhibiting new salami flavours in conjunction with the trending popularity of charcuterie boards. Upgrades to the selections include Driftless Provisions new salami products made from venison, bison and elk meat. Fossil Farms on the other hand offers salami made from wagyu beef and lamb in addition to their pork salami.
venturous salami flavors.