Summer Eating, a (Fancy) Show, and Sweets/Snacks: The Latest Food News Trends
A look at the food and beverage industry news from PR Newswire in May and June that you might have missed.
By Joe Murphy | Published July 10, 2023
This edition of the PR Newswire food and beverage blog is brought to you by the letter S. As we look back at food and beverage news from May and June, we’ll recap several summer trends and a couple of big events – the Summer Fancy Food Show and the Sweets & Snacks Expo.
But first, let’s talk big picture. PR Newswire issued more than 2,200 food and beverage releases in May and June, up slightly from roughly 2,100 in March and April. Among those, these were a few of the most viewed:
- Samuel Adams Introduces the 'I CAN't' Can to Help Drinkers Scratch the Itch to Ditch
- Splenda® CEO Responds to the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidance on Non-Sugar Sweeteners
- KFC Chicken Sandwiches Unlock Exclusive Diablo® IV In-Game Rewards for a Limited Time
- YOU'RE INVITED: McDonald's Celebrates Grimace's Birthday with Special Meal & Shake
Now, to the trends.
All Things Summer
Summer is here. That shouldn’t come as a surprise. Companies using PR Newswire have spent the last several months gearing people up for it. PR Newswire issued nearly 500 food and beverage releases in May and June mentioning “summer,” more than double the amount sent in March and April.
Whether it was summer promotions, summer refreshments, or summer traditions, the wire was hot with summer food news. Specifically, we’ll look at five categories:
1. Grilling
Fact: Food cooked over an open flame tastes better. It’s probably why a poll from Omaha Steaks showed Americans won’t sacrifice grilling out this summer, even as food costs remain high. Nine out of 10 (92%) Americans look forward to grilling, with 84% agreeing they would like to do even more grilling this summer than last year, according to the survey.
- To assist with the grilling, BRIANNAS introduced a new line of marinades, including Citrus Mediterranean and Sriracha Honey Ginger, among others.
- To expand your grilling options, La Brea Bakery partnered with Food Network's The Grill Dads to create a series of original recipes featuring its Take and Bake bread that is made to grill.
2. Beverages
One way to beat the summer heat is with a cold beverage. During May and June, there was no shortage of options.
On the alcoholic side, a new report from Catalina projects strong growth for pre-mixed cocktails, wine coolers, and non-alcoholic beer this summer, while sales for hard seltzers are expected to dip. Summer alcoholic promotions included:
- HARD MTN DEW released a Baja Blast Variety Pack with three new flavors.
- KickStand Cocktails made its portfolio of vodka-based spicy canned cocktails available nationwide.
On the non-alcoholic side, there were new specialty iced coffees from First Watch and free drinks from Panera.
There were also a few summer beverage collaborations:
- Sprite Summer Campaign Honors Hip-Hop 50th Anniversary by Teaming Up with Some of the Genre's Biggest Stars
- Canada Dry Ginger Ale and Designer Anwar Carrots Drop Summer Comfort Collection
- Hip-Hop Star Flo Milli Drops New Song Inspired by 7-Eleven, Inc.'s Iconic Frozen Drink to Kick Off the Summer of Slurpee
And T-Pain x 2:
- T-Pain Creates Wendy's Frosty Summer Anthem with Iconic 'Buy U a Drank' Remix
- Lipton Encourages Parents to Summer Like a Kid Again with Release of "Steal My Sunshine" T-Pain Cover and Refreshing Ice(d) Tea Pops
3. Traveling
Sonny and Cher. Bert and Ernie. Snacks and road trips. You can’t have one without the other.
In late May, Frito-Lay and Quaker released the first-ever joint U.S. Summer Snack Index. A few noteworthy results from the report include:
- Planning snacks before hitting the road can "greatly reduce the stress" of a long road trip, according to 85% of Americans.
- Snacks are a priority pitstop. Road trippers under 40 years old are twice as likely to prioritize finding the snacks they want over clean bathrooms at their stops.
To assist summer travelers in their adventures, Rockstar Energy offered travel promotions starting Memorial Day weekend, pledging to give away a total of $50,000.
Speaking of giveaways, travelers driving through Joshua Tree from June 5-11 had the opportunity to refuel on snacks from the Cheez-It Stop – “the biggest, cheeziest roadside attraction to ever grace America's beloved highways and byways.”
4. Menus
As the seasons change, so do menu options. This summer, that includes the return of a classic, as well as some new creations.
- Wendy’s announced the return of its Summer Strawberry Salad.
- Saladworks also added a Summer Berry Salad to its menu. In addition, both Saladworks and Zoup! Eatery brought the heat with several hot honey menu items.
- Playa Bowls incorporated mango and coconut into several of its summer offerings.
5. Desserts
We saved the best for last.
- Cold Stone Creamery is celebrating summer with the best of its batter and dough flavors.
- Culver's boosted its Flavor of the Day lineup with two new custard flavors: Lemon Berry Layer Cake and Dark Chocolate PB Crunch.
- Insomnia Cookies announced that its ice cream line, Cookies IN Ice Cream, is now available in stores nationwide.
Summer Fancy Food Show
The Specialty Food Association's 67th Summer Fancy Food Show was held at the Javits Center in New York City from June 25-27. The show, which sold out of exhibitor space in May, featured thousands of artisan products from more than 2,000 domestic and global specialty food and beverage makers and manufacturers. The show also featured a keynote address by celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, who spoke on “The Four Trends in Food that Matter Now.”
Just before the event, Specialty Food Association released its annual State of the Specialty Food Industry Report. According to the report, sales of specialty foods and beverages across all retail and foodservice channels neared $194 billion in 2022, up 9.3% over 2021, and are expected to reach $207 billion by the end of 2023.
At the event, companies had the opportunity to debut new lines of products, including:
- Alcohol-free ready-to-drink (RTD) spritzes
- Freekeh Harvest® Baked Pita Chips
- A new line of soups
- Organic Plantain Scoops made with the peel
- Upcycled Pretzel Flatbread Crackers
The event also included the final round of judging for the sofi™ Product of the Year and New Product of the Year Awards. In May, 97 specialty food products were awarded Gold or New Product trophies from the Specialty Food Association. Among the initial round of winners were North Country Smokehouse and Pomi USA, Inc.
In the end, Mochidoki Vegan Passionfruit Mochi Ice Cream and Lewis Road Creamery 10 Star Certified Salted Butter took home the 2023 sofi Awards for New Product of the Year and Product of the Year, respectively.
Sweets & Snacks Expo
The Sweets & Snacks Expo, which took place in Chicago from May 22-25, featured more than 800 exhibitors, including nearly 250 new exhibitors. Among the trends at this year’s expo were brand collaborations and flavor mashups.
Ahead of the event, Acosta Group released a survey on consumer behavior when it comes to purchasing and consuming snacks and candy. According to the poll, 40% of shoppers say they've eaten a large bag of salty snacks in one sitting, with that percentage rising to 74% for Gen Z and 60% for Millennials. For candy purchasers, chocolate is preferred (82%) over non-chocolate, with 54% of shoppers saying they eat more candy than they should.
Sweets
- On the sweets side, Morinaga America previewed its HI-SOFT™ salted caramel chews, scheduled to roll out in select retailers nationwide later this year.
- Mars also discussed its cultural relevance and showcased its line of new products at the event, including M&M'S® Caramel Cold Brew and TWIX® Cookie Dough.
- Ferrero revealed new products and seasonal offerings, including Kinder Chocolate, at the Expo.
Snacks
- On the snacks side, Conagra Brands brought several new snack creations, including Slim Jim SAVAGE Size and DAVID Frank's RedHot® Jumbo Sunflower Seeds.
Sweet Snacks
- In the “little bit of both” category, Pork King Good’s Old Timey Butterscotch pork rinds from its dessert line were selected as a finalist in the 2023 Most Innovative New Product Awards.
The event was a nice lead-in to National Candy Month, which took place in June.
Final Thoughts
We’re now halfway through 2023. In March and April, we looked at plant-based cravings and celebrity partnerships. May and June were all about summer and shows. Looking forward to seeing what new trends will emerge in July and August.
About the Author
Joe Murphy is a Senior Customer Content Specialist with PR Newswire. He serves as Cision’s Food and Beverage Industry Ambassador and curates the @PRNFood Twitter handle. In his free time, he enjoys watching Cleveland sports and spending time with his wife and two kids.