Call them bits, pieces, inclusions, mix-ins, or add-ins, inclusions bring both flavor and textural elements to foods. Color, too, can make it to the show by way of inclusions. Trends such as candy confetti in cake batter and edible glitter in frosting take celebration cakes to the next level. Fruit and nut pieces can be called in to add yet a fourth role for inclusions by raising a product’s health profile.
Product makers and foodservice companies are finding consumer interest is readily piqued by the addition of inclusions—so much so that beverages are featuring them with greater regularity. Examples: chia seeds or basil seeds in juice, or the increasingly popular crossover smoothie bowls.