Consumers are seeking snacks that are not only tasty and fun, but also nutritious, convenient, and emotionally satisfying. This has led to a rise in cross-category flavor fusions, health-forward ingredients, and globally inspired local tastes. Yet, innovation comes with challenges: flavor trends change fast, product lifecycles are shortening, and delivering consistent taste remains complex. This session will analyze key flavor trends shaping 2025–2026. We'll explore how to decode consumer preferences and build a sharper, more future-ready innovation strategy.

From April 2023 to March 2025, global launches of snacks with health claims grew by 22% (Innova), with nuts and seeds leading the way. Heart health, energy support, and weight management are now the top three functional positions. As consumer demand evolves, the focus is shifting from single health claims to multi-functional, experience-driven products. This session explores opportunities and challenges in functional ingredient innovation, with insights from leading brands on formulation and consumer education.

With the U.S. FDA pushing to phase out synthetic colors, global food giants like Nestlé and Kraft Heinz have pledged to eliminate artificial colorants by 2026–2027. As the industry moves toward cleaner labels, can natural colors—through their vivid appearance and clean-label positioning—offer a competitive edge in product innovation?

Created in 1912 to fit in a sports jacket pocket, the "Sport" bar combined portability with a bold brand identity. Now sold in 100+ countries with $585 million in 2024 sales, Ritter Sport is known for its precision across form, flavor, and packaging. Its square shape, vibrant wrappers, and "snap-open" design deliver a unique experience. Inside, classic milk and dark chocolate are blended with nuts, grains, fruits, spices, or biscuits—resulting in over 50 textures and flavors, updated regularly with seasonal trends. This session explores how Ritter Sport uses structure, texture, and sensory design to engineer lasting appeal—and what brands can learn from its holistic innovation model.

(Image source: Ritter Sport)

Gummies are evolving beyond sweet treats into carriers of flavor, texture, and emotional value. Japanese ice pop brand Hokkyoku has transformed its iconic summer flavors into shelf-stable gummies—replicating the icy sensation of frozen treats through crystallization technology. Let's explore how confectionery innovation can use technology to transcend physical formats, recreate multisensory experiences, and inspire new directions for snack and bakery development.

(Image source: Hokkyoku)

Want to taste specialties from across Japan? Just visit a supermarket and pick up Koikeya's "Pride" chips. From Kobe beef and Kyoto yuzu to Kyushu seaweed soy sauce and Kumamoto grilled meat, Koikeya transforms iconic dishes into layered, flavor-rich snacks using local potatoes and corn. With a commitment to Japanese ingredients and meticulous flavor crafting, the brand reached ¥59.38 billion in consolidated sales in FY2025. How does Koikeya engineer taste? From flavor selection and ingredient sourcing to precise formulation—this is how chips rivaling real cuisine are born.

As low-sodium and clean-label trends grow, maintaining that "addictive" savory taste becomes a major R&D challenge. Sensory analysis offers a scientific approach. By combining Quantitative Descriptive Analysis with consumer testing, teams can quantify attributes like saltiness, aftertaste, and richness. Advanced tools like GC-MS and electronic tongues help identify key flavor compounds and build statistical flavor models. Will this method improves low-salt formulations across nuts, baked snacks, and cereal crisps?

In today's "emotional economy," looks often sell more than ingredients—visual delight can drive impulse purchases. Toyosu takes a unique approach, drawing inspiration from nature to shape rice snacks into watermelons, bamboo, cherry blossoms, snowmen, and sweet potatoes, delivering playful and comforting emotional value.

(Image source: Toyosu)

Ganyuan, a leading flavor nut brand, has built dominance with signature items like green peas, sunflower kernels, and broad beans. In response to health trends, Ganyuan innovates by applying freeze-drying to combine fruit and nuts—creating hits like mango cashews and freeze-dried nut blends. By precisely controlling fruit pulp ratio, particle size, and moisture content, the brand achieves a layered taste of fruity freshness and nutty richness, while maintaining nutrients and a crisp texture. This session will explore how process innovations like coating, freeze-drying, and chocolate layering enable multi-sensory snacking—and how technology powers Ganyuan's next growth curve.

"High-protein" has become a breakout label. Global launches of high-protein snacks are rising at 9% annually, with protein sources expanding from whey to plants like peas and chickpeas. Yet balancing nutrition and taste is difficult: protein often makes textures dry or hard; plant proteins bring beany notes; whey can turn bitter after heating. Processing methods such as extrusion and baking may further damage structure and flavor. The next wave of protein snacks is not just about "protein" but about "great taste".