The flavours of fermentation

In part five of our Changing Tastes series, we look at the reviving taste for fermented foods and the flavours becoming a firm favourite

Part four of our Changing Tastes series looked at the growing taste for nutraceuticals, exploring how and why they’re becoming a top choice for young consumers. Another food and drink trend quickly gaining momentum is fermented foods. Why? Because with more consumers seeking long-life products with proven probiotic benefits, drink products like fermented milks are experiencing something of a comeback.

Call it a comeback

Fermented milk, also known as cultured dairy products, are dairy foods fermented with lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Leuconostoc. With origins dating back thousands of years, fermented milk certainly isn’t new on the scene. However, a recent revival in interest – spurred on by the growing demand for convenience, health foods and natural ingredients – has given new life to the fermented food trend.

Cultured milk products have a long history spanning the entire world – from Africa to Scandinavia and beyond. Traditional fermented products include milk, cheese, yoghurt and creme fraiche, while recent years have seen certain fermented dairy products make a comeback. Foods such as ayran, kefir, quark and smetana have emerged in supermarkets across the globe, alongside a growing taste for probiotic drinks and yoghurts.

Helping nature’s way

Historically, the primary function of fermenting milk was to extend its shelf life. With this came several advantages, ranging from improved taste to enhanced digestibility. Today, consumers are increasingly conscious of the link between gut health and overall wellness, with up to 56% of UK shoppers seeing probiotics as having a positive impact on their health, according to GlobalData.

As a natural probiotic, fermented milk products play a key role in maintaining a healthy microbial environment in the gut. The good bacteria provides a number of health benefits, from boosting immunity and food breakdown to helping maintain a healthy weight. What’s more, fermentation is a natural process, making it attractive amongst the two-thirds of consumers interested in and actively buying products with ‘natural’ claims, adds GlobalData.

A new experience

For many young consumers, unique taste and texture experiences are just as important as the health value. GlobalData research also shows around 49% of millennial and gen Z consumers like to experiment with “new and unusual flavours”.

Along with dairy-based fermented foods like skyr and kefir, non-dairy products such as sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha have materialised on the European market, ticking all the boxes for a growing wave of consumers seeking a healthy dose of food innovation.

Driving innovation

As the fermentation trend continues to grow across the world, there are several opportunities for innovation – both within the dairy aisle and beyond. In an effort to keep dairy relevant for today’s consumers, fermented milk products with added functional benefits are likely to continue to grow in variety and popularity in the years ahead.

Meeting the demands of today’s health- and environmentally-conscious millennials also means driving creative and sustainable packaging solutions. The key challenge for producers is preserving the live probiotic cultures, without sacrificing on convenience and aesthetics.

That’s where the aseptic packaging and filling expertise of SIG comes in. Not only can we help you develop innovative and great-tasting fermented flavours. We can provide the right packaging solution and flexible filling technology to ensure you deliver the best product possible.

Want to know more about creating fermented products with SIG? Get in touch or learn more about our solutions for Product Innovation & Differentiation.

And don’t miss part six of our Changing Tastes series, where we’ll recap all the product segments covered in this series alongside other new and emerging segments to look out for.

Want more stories like this sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to the SIGnals Update, our exclusive bi-weekly newsletter.