Whole Foods Market Launches Summer Condiment Trends Predictions
Whole Foods Market’s Trends Council revealed its first summer condiment trends predictions along with a list of corresponding products from emerging and established brands. The Trends Council – a collective of Whole Foods Market buyers and experts with extensive industry knowledge – predict global barbecue, chili peppers, elevated ketchup and mustard, next-level fermentation, and new takes on ranch will be influencing barbecues and picnics across America this summer.
Whole Foods Market’s summer condiment trends predictions come at a time when customers are turning to condiments to elevate their meals more than ever before. According to Mintel, sales for the condiment, marinade and dressing category are expected to hit $2.9 billion by 2024, showing growth of more than 5% since 2020.
“Customers are not afraid to experiment with condiments to level up familiar comfort foods or recreate a favorite restaurant dish. They are also trading out condiment-aisle classics for more elevated versions, and we expect this to continue as we head into summer,” said Rachel Bukowski, senior team leader of R&D for Exclusive Brands at Whole Foods Market. “Going forward, we expect to see the continued innovation in condiments for special diets like vegan, keto-friendly, low sugar and low-sodium options, as well as globally inspired condiments with distinct cultural stories.”
Whole Foods Market’s top five summer condiment trends:
BBQ Goes Global
Did you know your grill is secretly a teleportation machine? First stop: Japan. Next up: Tel Aviv. Transport your taste buds with a hot new lineup of internationally inspired barbecue sauces, spices and marinades. These products harness inspiration from worldwide cuisines, level up any cut of meat and turn your backyard into a high-octane flavor terminal.
Try the Trend: Bachan’s Original Japanese Barbecue Sauce, Gluten-Free Japanese Barbecue Sauce, Hot and Spicy Japanese Barbecue Sauce; 365 by Whole Foods Market Shawarma Marinade; Whole Foods Market Organic Berbere Seasoning; WE LOVE YOU Original Korean Bulgogi BBQ Sauce & Marinade, Medium Spicy Korean Bulgogi BBQ Sauce & Marinade, Sweet & Spicy Korean Gochujang Chili Sauce; Omsom Japanese Yuzu Miso Glaze, Korean Spicy Bulgogi, Vietnamese Lemongrass BBQ (coming summer 2022)
Hot Chili Summer
There’s a whole squad of zesty chili varieties bursting onto the condiment scene. They’re fiery enough to claim the title of summer’s hottest, and they definitely deserve a place in your pantry. From ancho to árbol and puya to cayenne, these chilis are spicing up sauces, pastes, oils and even honey. Crank up the heat and add some zest to grilled meats, salads, fruits and even ice creams.
Try the Trend: Momofuku Chili Crunch; Bitchin’ Sauce Cilantro Chili; Tajín Clásico Seasoning; Sir Kensington’s Chili Lime Crema Everything Sauce; Omsom Thai Krapow (coming summer 2022)
Ketchup and Mustard, Mastered
The most iconic red-and-yellow duo in the condiment game has come a long way from squeeze packets in cafeterias and drive-throughs. New ketchups and mustards push boundaries with fruit-and-veggie add-ins and cuisine-specific flavor profiles like curry and saffron. They’re the easiest way to elevate backyard burgers and dogs to prep them for the culinary red carpet.
Try the Trend: Maille x Mike’s Hot Honey Special Edition Hot Honey Dijon Mustard; Brooklyn Delhi Curry Ketchup, Curry Mustard; Acid League California Ketchup with Saffron and Living ACV, Hot Deli Mustard with ACV; True Made Foods Veggie Ketchup, Bavarian-Style Mustard
Fermented and Flourishing
These days, fermented foods are an unstoppable force charging through aisle after aisle with a full head of steam. Condiments are no exception. We’re seeing tangy fermented ingredients adding flair to vinaigrettes, hot sauces, honeys and mayos. With flavor boosts like miso, kimchi and fermented garlic, these products exponentially expand the flavor possibilities of every summer soirée.
Try the Trend: Lucky Foods Seoul Kimchi Mayo; Cleveland Kitchen Miso Jalapeño Fermented Dressing & Marinade, Garlic Italian Fermented Dressing & Marinade, Veggie Caesar Fermented Dressing & Marinade; California Olive Ranch Carrot Miso Vinaigrette; Firefly Kitchens Firefly Kimchi Hot Sauce, Firefly Cortido Salt, Firefly Kimchi Salt; Ninja Squirrel Coconut Sriracha Hot Sauce
Revved-Up Ranch
Ranch is one of those condiments that inspires cult-like devotion. So, ranch heads, rejoice: Your favorite dressing and dipping sauce has evolved, taking on bold new flavors and expanding with more plant-based options for all. Crank up your summer crudités board, let your carrots take a dip and bust out the garlic knots, because these refreshing ranches are ready to rev up every meal and snack, with vegan and special-diet picks included — even ones made with oatmilk.
Try the Trend: Primal Kitchen Vegan Ranch, Ranch Dip; Tessemae’s Organic Habanero Ranch, Organic Pantry Buffalo Ranch; Mill It Plant Based Classic Ranch Dressing; 365 by Whole Foods Market Vegan Ranch, Spicy Ranch; Acid League Oatmilk Ranch Prebiotic Vinaigrette
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Smashburger Adds Eclipse Plant-Based Milkshakes to Menu
Eclipse Foods has partnered with Smashburger to create the industry’s first nationally available plant-based milkshakes for the fast-casual chain. The milkshakes are now available for purchase in all Smashburger locations nationwide (for $6.19, price may vary based on location) in Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Peanut Butter, Tangerine Dream and Oreo. Customers can also order the plant-based milkshakes for take-out or delivery on Smashburger.com or on Smashburger’s mobile app, and for delivery on DoorDash, Postmates, Uber Eats and GrubHub.
“This partnership marks an incredible milestone in advancing the plant-based movement and signals Smashburger’s confidence in Eclipse as the plant-based dairy brand that mainstream consumers will crave,” said Aylon Steinhart, co-founder and CEO of Eclipse. “Our shakes perfectly mimic the delicious taste and texture of traditional dairy milkshakes, and require no flavor sacrifice from consumers. And now that the shakes are available nationwide, even more people will have access to exceptionally delicious plant-based options that are better for the planet, animals and people.”
To create its first dairy-free menu item, Smashburger’s corporate chef, Ty Goerke, worked closely with Eclipse’s co-founder and James Beard nominated chef, Thomas Bowman. After months of testing, both teams were confident they had created a world-class offering all customers would love, no matter their diet.
“As part of Smashburger’s aggressive approach to menu innovation and catering to our guest’s evolving tastes, we have continued to diversify our product portfolio with the launch of new plant-based milkshake offerings,” states Carl Bachmann, president of Smashburger. “As part of our commitment and passion to deliver high caliber products with quality ingredients, we knew Eclipse was the best partner for us to develop the brand’s first dairy-free menu offerings. This felt like a natural next step in Smashburger’s journey to offer more diverse and plant-based options for our guests, while still delivering the premium, top-quality menu items that Smash fans know and love.”
Eclipse was co-founded in 2019 by Steinhart and Bowman with the mission to create a more sustainable, healthy, and ethical food system. Since then, Eclipse has scaled faster and more efficiently than competitors in the space in order to make this mission of fighting climate change, animal suffering, and the human health crisis a reality.
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Smartwater Names Zendaya as Brand Ambassador
As Smartwater’s global brand ambassador, acclaimed actor and performer Zendaya will appear in a series of new creative from the brand and support community water programs that will directly affect thousands of women.
Created in partnership with VMLY&R and WPP/OpenX, the campaign creative began rolling out in the United States from June 21 across television, audio, social and streaming channels, with global markets to follow. The campaign celebrates those who keep it smart, whatever the choice, and aren’t afraid to free themselves from the restraints of convention.
Zendaya will work with Smartwater to support community water quality and access improvements in various cities around the world, starting with Zendaya’s hometown of Oakland, Calif., by partnering with the Global Water Challenge – a coalition of leading organizations collaborating to achieve universal access to clean drinking water. In the United Stttes alone, 2.2 million people have no water at home and 44 million Americans are served by water systems that don’t function optimally.
The brand, GWC and Zendaya are launching the Smart Solutions: Global Water Challenge, which will invite local organizations to apply for grant funding to GWC’s women for water action platform that uplifts women and their communities through the power of clean water access. These efforts build on more than a decade of investments in clean water access around the world from The Coca-Cola Company, which have reached more than 18.5 million people since 2010. GWC’s work has proven that with access to clean water, people, especially women and girls, are healthier, safer, educated and employed.
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