Over four in 10 consumers enjoy trying new tastes: report

Spicy flavours grew substantially, making up nearly a fifth of NPLs. 

Over four in 10 consumers enjoy discovering new tastes and food combinations–highest amongst millennials and Gen Zs, as innovation drives the packaged food industry’s success, according to a Euromonitor report. 

In savoury snacks, spicy flavours grew substantially, making up nearly a fifth of tracked new product launches (NPLs) in 2023. 

Additionally, there has been an increasing use of herbs and spices in packaged foods—up 13.9% between 2019 to 2024. 

Health also remains a top value driver in packaged food. Euromonitor noted that innovations leveraging ingredients such as plant-based proteins are expected to rise in the next five years. 

However, the affordability crisis increased the number of price-conscious consumers with 38% saying that they try to eat nutritiously but ultimately choose cheap foods.