On being a leader in ice cream

Dairy Foods, March, 2004

Top-10 Formulating TRENDS

Formulating ice cream products that complement current, as well as forecasted trends, positions a company for market success. To help you be a winner in the freezer, Dairy Foods magazine interviewed numerous ice cream industry experts and analysts and compiled this list of the top-10 ice cream formulating trends.

With luck, your company is either already actively pursuing these innovations, or has such products in the marketplace. If not, what are you waiting for? Consumers are waiting to scoop up such goodies, and Star Kay White is available to assist in formulating these creations.

1. LOW CARBOHYDRATE

With new "low-carb" products rolling out daily, covering almost all food categories, from snack foods to breakfast cereals, and candy bars to yogurt, ice cream products described as being low in "net carbs" are hot, hot, hot. Consumers of all ages, weights and races are adopting a low-carbohydrate dietary lifestyle to either lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

2. A CONVERGENCE OF NO-SUGAR-ADDED WITH LOW-NET-CARBS

Industry experts predict that lower-carbohydrate products are here to stay, as they appeal to many segments of the population. This includes diabetics, the group that typically purchased no-sugar-added ice cream, as diabetics must moderate their high-glycemic carbohydrate intake, which includes sugar. Lower-carb products are formulated to be even lower in those carbohydrates that diabetics must avoid; therefore, it is likely that no-sugar-added ice creams will disappear from freezer shelves, permanently replaced by low-carb frozen desserts.

3. A MOVE AWAY FROM VANILLA EXTRACT

With pure vanilla extract prices at record highs, many ice cream marketers are avoiding the use of all-natural vanilla as a base flavor for inclusion-laden desserts. All-natural, vanilla-type flavors are available as cost-effective alternatives to round out ice cream flavors such as cookies 'n cream and strawberry cheesecake.

4. FUSION OF FLAVORS

Blending unrelated flavors together is no longer limited to appetizers and main entrees. Desserts are active players in this fusion of flavors trend. Take for example, bitter chocolate pieces in a rich raspberry rose gelato. We are also seeing the use of herbs, spices and flower top-notes to liven up ice cream products.

5. ETHNIC FLAVORS

The success of dulce de leche paved the road for other ethnic desserts to be translated into ice cream flavors. Popular favorites such as baklava, cannoli, tiramisu, tres leche and tropical fruit salad with coconut, guava and mango are sure winners.

6. INDULGENT DESSERTS

Many consumers want cake with their ice cream, and today's manufacturers can deliver an all-in-one creation. It's two desserts in one! Brownie pieces continue to be one of the most popular baked ice cream inclusions, but brownies alone no longer will do. Brownie chunks with graham variegate are the perfect complement to white chocolate ice cream and pumpkin pie-flavored ice cream tastes even better with a swirl of butterscotch.

7. SUPERPREMIUM

Rich, indulgent ice cream does not necessarily translate to more milkfat, often times it is just less air, or overrun, as it is referred to in the frozen desserts industry. The superpremium trend continues to grow and often is found under the aliases of frozen custard and gelato.

8. FRUITS AND NUTS FOR HEALTH

Not only do fruits and nuts provide color, flavor and, in the case of nuts, crunch, there also is a healthy halo associated with foods containing these ingredients. This is because fruits and nuts are loaded with antioxidants and other good-for-you constituents. So blend in some berries and mix in some nuts for a frozen treat that not only tastes great, but also is loaded with healthy inclusions.

9. CANDY COMBINATIONS

Since the first chocolate chips were mixed into ice cream, candies have been a natural for ice cream. Today, candy inclusions run the gamut of peppermint pieces to peanut brittle to chocolate-covered nuts. The candy aisle, or even better, a candy store, is the perfect place to brainstorm for that next frozen confection creation.

10. MADE-TO-ORDER ICE CREAM

The hottest trend on the ice cream shop side of the business is hand blending semi-frozen mix with inclusions on a cold slab of marble or similar material. Customers have complete control of what and how much goes into their frozen concoction. Is there an opportunity for a similar interactive retail ice cream?

Interested in offering a product that complements these trends? Call Star Kay White at (845) 268-2600.

114 YEARS as a LEADER

In 2004, Star Kay White Inc., Congers, N.Y., a family-owned company, celebrates 114 years of innovation and leadership in creating and manufacturing ice cream flavoring ingredients. Many of these ingredients helped shape and define the U.S. ice cream industry, positioning the United States as a leader in the global marketplace. Star Kay White uses its ancestry, which today spans four generations, along with its proximity to trend-setting New York City, to provide ice cream manufacturers with the flavors that capture the essence of what consumers want in frozen desserts.