Dive Brief:
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Firmenich, a Swiss perfume and flavor company, says fig will be the flavor of the year for 2018, according to Food Ingredients First. The company stated that the fruit's "numerous health benefits and sweet and satisfying flavor profile" cater to consumer demands and can be used across food and beverage categories.
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Figs can also be used as a natural substitute for processed sugar, and Firmenich's trend insights show that consumers perceive fig as representing health and authenticity.
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“With its numerous health benefits and sweet and satisfying flavor profile, fig offers endless opportunities to inspire our customers and delight their consumers across a wide range of food categories,” Chris Millington, president of Firmenich's Flavor Division, told Food Ingredients First.
Dive Insight:
The fig, one of the world's oldest cultivated plants and a member of the mulberry family, has mainly been known in the U.S. as a component of Fig Newtons, Mondelez's chewy cookie product.
More and more, figs are showing up beyond the cookie format. Today the fruit can be found in honey, syrup, jams and cold cereal, as well as yogurt, tea, energy drinks, chewing gum and snack bars. On upscale restaurant menus, figs are offered wrapped with bacon and are featured on pizza accompanied by prosciutto.
According to Firmenich, between 2012 and 2016, Innova Market Insights has reported a 16.5% CAGR for fig as an ingredient, and 18.6% CAGR for fig as a flavor. The exotic fruit ticks a lot of boxes for consumers. It's sweet, chewy, smooth and crunchy all at once, delivering a complex texture profile that can bring dimension to food products. Figs also have a high fiber content and contain essential minerals such as magnesium, manganese, calcium and potassium.
Firmenich said that the fig's long history appeals to modern consumers. Manufacturers who formulate with the ingredient could lure consumers who are interested in ancient, authentic ingredients that connect them to other cultures.
Fig has a mystical quality due to its long history and appeals to modern consumers as an ancient and authentic ingredient with Old World connotations, Firmenich said. And, the company added, flavors "as timeless and elemental as fig will continue to satisfy this desire for something true and unique."