Why inclusions make the difference

multisensorial image pink and brown cookies

Why inclusions make the difference

Consumers’ palates are getting increasingly adventurous and tougher to please – they want the traditional and the authentic, but also want it with a twist. Time for new and creative sensations!

Consumers crave for multi-sensorial experiences

A great product isn’t always just about taste. It can be a whole sensory experience including a tantalizing aroma, an appealing appearance or a wider range of unique textures that appeal to all senses. Consumers, and in particular Millennials and the Gen Y youngsters, want their palates to be stimulated, challenged, surprised. Texture (mouthfeel) is suggested today as the new taste to create unexpected indulging & pleasurable sensory experiences.

In 2022, 50% of global consumers said they like food and drink products with unusual textures (vs 43% in 2020), proving that consumers recognize that texture contributes to the overall sensory experience.¹

^{Source:

1 FMCG Gurus, 2022}

Consumers’ texture preferences

Did you know that everyone has a specific eating style in which texture (mouthfeel) plays a critical role? Four types of eating styles – Crunchers, Smooshers, Chewers and Suckers – define how people consume and enjoy their food. In Western Europe, the majority are crunchers and chewers.

Crunchers:
Eat forcefully and loud.
Eat super quick.
Crunch until it’s gone.
Lovers of firm crispy.
Love chocolate crunchy cookies & chocolate covered peanuts

Chewers:
Enjoy multi-textured foods.
Like long, full chewing sensations.
Lovers of crumbly and chewy textures.
Love chocolate covered raisins & brownies

Smooshers:
Eat slowly.
Love soft, uniform textures.
Don’t enjoy chewing.
Love granola chocolate bars & chocolate truffles

Suckers:
Slow eaters.
Suck before chewing.
Like multi-layered products.
Enjoy the flavor.
Love hard chocolate pieces

Each consumer is different, they eat differently and will be satisfied by different types of textures. But if a texture claim is made, then that texture claim should deliver into their eating experience.

Nearly half (47%) of Germans said they resembled chewers and 34% said they were crunchers. Brits said they most resembled crunchers (34%) and chewers (33%). In France, 41% were identified as crunchers while 38% said they felt as chewers.

^{Source: Mouth Behaviour theory – Copyright 2016

The Understanding & Insight Group, LLC

Eating Styles: a complete guide to our

unexpressed love of food - Ingredion, 2017}

How to bring texture alive?

Texture is a key driver of the eating and drinking experience and it affects the senses from first look through product consumption.

In store - Which texture claims are on the packaging?
Before eating - How does the product look outside of packaging?
While eating - How does it feel in the mouth? How do you eat it?
After swallowing - What is left in the mouth?

Overall, 11% of new food and beverage products launched globally in 2022 carried a texture claim of some kind. Creamy and crispy are the most popular claims in use.²

Research shows that younger consumers are more influenced by interesting or enjoyable textures rather than mature consumers.² Additionally, 65% of global consumers prefer sweet treats that have multiple textures.³

Taberu Crispy Seaweed — Taberu Mango Flavored Crispy Seaweed Snack from Thailand is said to be a healthy snack made with seaweed and crisped rice for additional crunch.

^{Sources:

2 Innova, 2023

3 Barry Callebaut proprietary study, 2023}

Texture novelties

New product launches today are driven by unexpected flavor sensations and new texture combinations such as crispy with smooth, velvety and crunchy, soft and hard, chewy and wet. Tomorrow, the quest for unusual experiences provides product opportunities with unexpected texture fusions - such as ‘crunchy’, mixing crunchy and crispy, ‘softy’ by mixing soft and chewy.

These multisensory creations provide the iGeneration (teens and young adults) - as well as consumers of all ages - with tangible connections to the real world as well as moments worth sharing either in person or online.

Nabisco Firework Oreo — Nabisco Oreo honored US Independence Day celebrations with a limited-edition chocolate Oreo with red and blue popping candy inside the cream.

Bring texture alive with inclusions

Adding inclusions to your products is a simple way to trigger consumer interest and impact flavor release and mouthfeel sensations, especially when people see unique creations that they’d love to try out. Barry Callebaut offers an extensive range of inclusions to bring that breath of fresh air in your product offerings. With the acquisition of D’Orsogna Dolciaria, we were able to bring even more excitement to this product category. With this range of innovative and top quality products we can inspire you to create exclusive combinations of textures, flavors and pleasure.