The latest global trends show that consumers are increasingly searching for new, unexpected combinations that create a unique taste experience in addition to well-known flavors. This pushes producers to constantly experiment, look for innovative solutions and create products that would still amaze customers who seem to have seen and tasted everything. The representative of the largest producer of bread, snacks and frozen products in Baltic States “Mantinga”, tells how they adapt to the latest trends and what products are conquering the market this year. 

The latest trends in the food industry show that consumers are increasingly searching for unexpected, contrasting combinations that enrich the eating experience. According to data from “Innova Market Insights”, a global consumer goods analysis company based in the Netherlands, more than half (55%) of consumers are actively looking for new and innovative flavors in their food choices. Another 43% of consumers prefer products that offer a unique culinary experience that combines traditional flavors with modern accents.  

According to Ramunė Puzinienė, Head of New Product Development at “Mantinga”, changing consumer expectations encourage to experiment with new ideas and production technologies in addition to adhering to global trends. This enables “Mantinga” to provide the market with innovative products that can lead to new taste discoveries in addition to responding to existing trends. 

“One of such innovations in the bakery market is our new product this year – the “Crookie” pastry. This pastry is a combination of a croissant and an American cookie, combining a buttery cookie dough filling with a crispy croissant dough layer, and chocolate pieces add extra delicacy to the pastry. This is the first crookie adapted for large-scale production – we were the first on the market to produce it industrially. This pastry stands out not only for its unique taste but also for its sustainability. It is made using sustainable technologies and responsibly selected ingredients, ensuring a lower environmental impact”, – R. Puzinienė introduces one of the latest products.  

Salted caramel continues to remain on the top 

Another clearly visible trend is sweet-salty flavors, which have been gaining more and more consumer attention in Europe in recent years. Consumers are increasingly searching for not only pleasant sweetness, but also additional sensations – a gentle hint of saltiness, which enhances the intensity of the flavor and creates balance. Salted caramel has dominated among the most popular combinations for several years now – according to the data of “Innova Market Insights”, it is especially popular among the 18-34 age group.  

In response to this trend, “Mantinga” introduced several products this year, in which the combination of sweetness and saltiness along with the contrasting flavors become the main highlight. “This trend inspired us to create products such as a Danish puff pastry with salted caramel, as well as pastry with a combination of caramel and apples, where sweetness is complemented by natural sourness”, – explains R. Puzinienė. 

Crispness changes the perception of taste 

The perception of taste and the eating experience are greatly influenced by the texture of food, including crispness. According to research, crispy foods lead to greater satisfaction when eating and are often associated with freshness and high food quality, therefore consumers prefer such products, and this remains a very relevant trend.  

“To meet this expectation, we pay more and more attention not only to taste, but also to texture – we create products with crunchy additives and use special baking technologies. The crunchiness trend is reflected not only in our previously mentioned bakery products, but also in other news. One of them is a pastry with creamy strawberry filling, layered crispy dough and sugar crystals that give it extra crispness”, – says R. Puzinienė. 

"Mantinga" introduces around 100 new products to the market each year, and many of them reach their audience. Some of the latest and already popular products include croissants with lavender filling and sour donuts. Among the favorites are also classic flavors such as donuts with berry fillings, buttery croissants, and caramel croissants. 

In total, "Mantinga" offers a range of over 1,000 different products, which are exported to more than 40 countries worldwide.