Designing a plant-based chocolate bar or other chocolate product might sound like an easy task, but it is not just about replacing the dairy ingredients with plant-based alternatives.

It’s one thing to talk about sustainability’s appeal to consumers. Yet how are consumers thinking and behaving when it comes to on-shelf food and beverage decisions?

"We believe in the ethical treatment of animals," says Chris Mattera, Le Cordon Bleu trained chef and culinary innovator with North Country Smokehouse. "Beyond our commitment to non-GMO ingredients, we adhere to strict Certified Humane Raised & Handled and Global Animal Partnership program standards – in fact, we surpass them."

Keeping up with flavor trends in a globalized era of constant and viral information can be challenging. After all, these days a single online influencer can spur the interest of millions of consumers with a single tweet. Nowhere is this more evident than among the so-called Gen Z demographic, a generation of adults in their late 20s and younger, with some of the highest purchasing power and the strongest trend impact.