By Lindsay Stevens
The National Peanut Board (NPB) attended the 2024 Summer Fancy Foods Show in New York City to see the latest food trends and flavor profiles for the year, as well as to promote peanut products to key buyers and retailers. In attendance were more than 29,000 specialty food and beverage industry professionals, with over 2,400 domestic companies and exhibitors from 56 international countries.
This year, NPB exhibited with Hubs, a multi-generational gourmet peanut company with products like Choco Covered Peanuts, Honey Kissed Virginia Peanuts and Peanut Brittle; Lil Red’s Boiled Peanuts, which sells boiled peanuts as well as boiled peanut dip; P-nuff Crunch, a protein puff brand that was featured on Shark Tank; and Pasokin, which sells peanut powder, PB Crumb toppings and PB bites.
Specialty food sales across retail, food service and e-commerce grew 6.5% to $206.8 billion in 2023 so it’s key to keep up with trends in this sector. The Summer Fancy Foods Show offers trend reports and educational components in addition to the exhibitor halls to share what industry experts are seeing. Here are some of the most discussed trends at the show:
Satisfying Snacks
Buyers are looking for snacks that will not only taste great but also include protein to keep them going. They want to eat something that feels comforting and indulgent but won’t make them feel guilty later. One product that showcased this trend was the Gold sofi Award-winning Peak ProteinChocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Grass-Fed Whey Protein Bar.
Heightened Heat
Consumers are adding a little spice to their lives. Specialty food makers are increasing the heat across a range of categories with sour-spicy, sweet-spicy and herbal-spicy flavors. Seasoned peanut flavors, like Hub’s Sweet Heat Peanuts or Ferdies Hot & Spicy Virginia Peanuts, fit into this trend perfectly.
Upscaling at Home
Since 2020 we’ve seen a surge in elevated at-home cooking with global flavors. One product that took a more creative look at this trend is Pastazerts. They took a classic like Italian ravioli and put a twist on it by creating their chocolate ravioli filled with peanut butter & jelly. Consumers can elevate their chocolate ravioli with their multiple “sauces” that go on top, with flavors like raspberry and strawberry sauce.
Fast and Fancy
One trend that isn’t going anywhere is convenient, on-the-go snacks, that don’t sacrifice flavor. According to the Specialty Food Association, grab-and-go is among the fastest-growing product attributes. One of the Gold sofi Award winners was Jane Foodie’s Flash Frozen Guinness Beef Stew, made with filet mignon, Yukon potatoes, carrots, onions and Guinness stout. Could a West African peanut stew that’s easy to heat up for the busy consumer be the next big thing?