Dive Brief:
- PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division has announced four international flavor varieties for its Lay's potato chips brand available for a limited time beginning July 25.
- The flavors include Brazilian Picanha, Chinese Szechuan Chicken, Greek Tzatziki, and Indian Tikka Masala.
- As part of the internationally flavored promotion, specially marked Lay's products will have an on-pack code that consumers can redeem for "miles" and "passport stamps" for travel-related prizes.
Dive Insight:
International flavors continue to be然而在industry. Southeast Asian flavors like Thai and Vietnamese were on display at theSummer Fancy Food Showearlier this month.Hispanic foods and beverages, particularly Mexican brands, continue to surge in the U.S. to keep pace with the growing population.
International flavorswere among the trends McCormick noted inits2016 Flavor Forecast, including heat and tang -- like sambal or Peruvian chilies -- and tropical Asian. So far this year, those trends seem to be playing out in product launches.
Millennials in particular tend to havea taste for exotic and international flavors. A 2015 Millennial Marketingreport found that40% of millennials like to try new kinds of ethnic cuisine.
But a recent Mintel report suggests that millennials aren't the only demographic interested in ethnic foods and flavors. Three out of five people said their palates have become more adventurous when it comes to sampling international fare, according to a news release.
As packaged food brands look to boost sales and stand out in an increasingly competitive marketplace, international flavors, particularly thosesourced using natural seasonings and spices, could be a solution.
Lay's is also making a play at capitalizing on the Olympics without ever directly mentioning the games by name. And it's no surprise that a Brazilian flavor variety made the cut with the games hosted in Rio this year.
