2018 Flavor Trends - Flavorchem

2018 Flavor Trends

The Human Algorithm

 Creating flavors that connect with people on a sensory level, but also an emotional one, is no small
 challenge. That is why Flavorchem approaches this important undertaking in an exceptionally robust
 and painstaking way.
 Our methodology, The Human Algorithm, is a process that by which we take an exhaustive look at key
 facets of life today: food and beverage, fashion, socio-political, art, architecture, technology, and 24
 other indicators.
 The Human Algorithm Team gathers and analyzes major and minor trends, providing a basis not only for
 our own development purposes, but also to provide a strategic road map for our customers.
 Please enjoy our findings, presented as our top four significant trends for 2018.

Altered Reality and the Rise of AI
In 1990, Boeing researchers Thomas Caudell and Dave Mizell coined the term
Augmented Reality (AR) while working at Boeing’s Computer Services’ Adaptive
Neural Systems Research and Development project in Seattle. At Boeing, it referred to
the headsets worn by aircraft electricians that blended virtual graphics onto a
physical reality. To further explain it, AR is a technology that superimposes a
computer-generated image merged with a user’s view of the real world, thus
providing a composite view.
Leading the way for AR and VR innovation are immersive gaming systems that amp
up the sense that you’re fighting zombies or aliens. In retail, we are seeing AR devices
in fitting rooms, at makeup counters, and even an AR IKEA catalog that lets customers
“try” the furniture in their own homes. We are seeing a rise in VR technology in
healthcare as doctors use this tech to treat patients around the world. There are
educational applications as well. Educators are using VR to teach about subjects
ranging from language to astronomy.
Today, AI devices are popping up everywhere, affecting every aspect of our daily
lives from smart thermostats (Nest) that you can set with your phone to home security
systems, remote-controlled lighting and sound. AI technology is also enabling
“thinking” in everyday devices such as toasters, refrigerators, toothbrushes and coffee
makers, ensuring that the temperature and humidity are perfect in the crisper and a
cup of hot joe is waiting. They are also making life more convenient via voice-
activated devices like Alexa and Echo and making entertainment more easily
accessible with things like ATT U-Verse that allows you to record a show remotely.

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic.”
― Arthur C. Clarke

Resource Sharing
In the “olden” days, neighbors got together and shared to survive. No one had a lot, but what little they
had often made its way around the community. When a barn needed raising or quilts sewn, everyone
pitched in. So, it’s interesting to see a return to resource sharing in these more abundant times.
One of the most prevalent examples of this hunkering down is the “go local” mentality. Supporting locally
owned businesses funnels money back into our own communities, creates jobs and makes us feel like good
neighbors. Buying local produce, eggs, meat and other foods contributes to sustainability by reducing the
waste of natural resources in transporting and production.          In tandem, urban planners are
accommodating small businesses in town centers and making them more accessible via public
transportation.
Simplicity is a key theme, with people embracing minimalism and getting back to basics in an effort to be
less stressed, healthier and mindful of the environment. More people are growing pesticide-free produce,
raising chickens, using plant-based fragrances and cosmetics and doing whatever they can to be more
sustainable and consume less energy and other resources.

“As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler, solitude will not be
solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.” ― Henry David Thoreau

New Frontiers
As a culture, we are pushing the boundaries of what we want, how we get it and
when. The digital age has given us all more a sense of control in our daily experiences
and purchases. Are we becoming a demanding and impatient lot? Possibly. But, in
the process, service and merchandise providers are stepping up and cashing in.
Closely aligned with personalization is the move toward individualism and
independence that continues to drive the popularity of such things as craft beers,
craft cheeses (quite the opposite of Kraft cheeses), coffee micro- roasters and hand-
made artisan soaps, cosmetics, shoes and clothing. As technology is perceived by
many as boiling us down into data, the reaction is to reassert one’s unique humanity
by choosing products out of the mainstream.
“Better/Faster” has become a pervasive mantra for consumers, perpetuated by
Millennials who have grown up with the instant gratification of technology. Examples
of this include on-demand music and streaming entertainment. Want hot food
delivered more quickly? Soon, it will be arriving via drones. And we might also be
arriving similarly in autonomous aerial vehicles such as the Ehang 184, currently in
production.
All of this very demanding demand is causing a competitive frenzy in American
business, spurring more innovative intensity to get out ahead. Who will the leaders be
at the forefront of these new frontiers? The companies who answer the call for better,
faster, more individualized and targeted everything.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something
else is the greatest accomplishment.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Back to Nature
The more high-tech our lives become and the more gadgets and devices we use, the more some of us feel
we might be losing our humanity. Many of us have found we’re asking questions about what it means to
be human in this fast-paced world. What do we really need on a basic level to be good people and
responsible, fully present, participants in life? In this quest for deeper meaning and inspiration, we are
turning to nature to soothe us, rejuvenate us and restore tranquility in our lives. It is then, we believe, we will
find the answers we seek.
Often, communing with nature takes the form of immersing ourselves, literally and figuratively. We cruise
rivers and delve into the aquatic deep where, some would argue, existence started. There we are,
awestruck by the wonders of a world so vibrant that we begin to reconnect with life. Our immersive
experiences continue with adventure vacations, extreme sports, visits to lush rainforests and wilderness
retreats in an attempt to feel more, be more human. When we return to civilization, we attempt to
continue the natural vibe.
Quite simply, nature nurtures. Though, as powerful as nature is, it is unlikely it will turn us into Luddites. The
hiker or camper who struggles to find a location to get a signal on his cell phone exemplifies this. Well, he
still has a great view and fresh air!

“Look deep into nature and you will understand everything else.”—Albert Einstein

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