SAUCES & DRESSINGS

When consumers want to experiment with flavor, sauces, dressings and seasonings easily win out.

In fact, when asked where they would go to try new flavors, 42% of American consumers told Innova Market Insights’ 2024 Flavor Survey that sauces, seasonings and toppings was their first category choice. Desserts, ice cream and sweet bakery products (cakes, cookies, etc.), were second and third respectively.

This quest for novelty helped boost new US sauce and seasoning introductions by 12% in 2024, per Innova. For the record, seasonings and table sauces—the two largest subcategories under sauces and seasonings—saw new product introductions saw rise by 11% and 20%, respectively, in 2024.

Hot Stuff!

Spicy flavors like harissa are gaining traction, helped by Heinz Limited Edition Harissa Aioli Flavored Sauce as well as Wegmans Harissa Dressing, the latter marking private label entering the harissa niche. Interestingly, Heinz’s Harissa Flavored Aioli was one of six sauces the food maker first tested at select restaurants. Later, it introduced this limited-time flavor along with Black Garlic Flavored Ranch Sauce. Sauce Ventures LLC, Costa Mesa, Calif., extended its TRUFF pantry staples line with TRUFF Buffalo Sauce, its newest hot sauce variation. Officials say it features black truffle along with “the tang of vinegar, the kick of cayenne, and the lush silkiness of olive oil.”

The “fiery heat” of scorpion peppers fueled Walmart’s Scorpion Pepper and Truffle Street Taco Sauce, one of several launches under Walmart’s new, chef-inspired bettergoods premium private label brand. Peru’s Alicorp S.A.A., Lima, used its Alicorp USA LLC business in Miami to introduce its popular Tari hot sauce to the US market. Its two SKUs include Amarillo and Rocoto, based respectively on those two pepper groups.

Barbecue sauce has long powered innovation. Among the many new products here is an addition to Guy Fieri’s Flavortown line. He partnered with country music star, Kane Brown for Flavortown x Kane Brown's Tennessee Style BBQ Sauce. Officials say the sweet heat sauce combines flavors of brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, onion and garlic. Interestingly, one of the Private Label Manufacturing Association’s (PLMA) 2024 “Salute to Excellence” winners was Walmart’s new bettergoods Spicy Pineapple Habanero BBQ Sauce. Last year also saw chef David Chang return to the retail products scene with two new Momofuku Goods Korean BBQ Sauces: Sweet & Savory and Sweet & Spicy.

Tomato sauce products joined the act. Mizkan America Inc., Mt. Prospect, Ill., partnered with viral YouTube show sensation Hot Ones and created three limited edition RAGÚ x Hot Ones sauces: Fiery Garlic (Hot), Chipotle Blaze (Hotter), and Chile Inferno (Hottest). Even ketchup is getting in on the act. The Texas restaurant chain Whataburger, San Antonio, first tested a “secret sauce” under the name “Spicy Ketchup Limited Batch #2” in its restaurants in 2022. Last February, it officially launched Whataburger Spicy Ketchup with Cholula H-E-B’s Texas locations.

For the record, not all sauce innovation is about turning up the heat. Louisiana’s McIlhenny Company actually turned the heat down last year with its Tabasco Buffalo Style Sauce, which touted a “tangy, garlicky, and savory” taste. The entry debuted in an easy-to-squeeze plastic bottle.

Perhaps one of last year’s more interesting new sauces came from Innovation Ventures LLC, Farmington Hills, Mich. Better known by its 5-Hour Energy brand, Innovation Ventures introduced an Inspired Energizing BBQ Sauce. Offered in a Peach Mango flavor, this sauce delivers 60mg of caffeine per serving for an “energizing punch.” Elsewhere, Nestlé USA, Solon, Ohio, introduced a limited-edition, “pocket-sized” barbeque sauce to mark the return of its Hot Pockets BBQ Recipe Beef sandwich. Available only as an exclusive online giveaway, BBQ fans were invited to visit hotpockets.com/bbqsauce last summer for the opportunity to get a complimentary jar.

Get Dressed

Heat and spice also influenced dressing innovation. Last spring saw Hidden Valley Ranch introduce as many as seven new offerings that often straddled the line between dressing and dipping sauce. Four hotter, spicier offerings include included Garlic Ranch, Nashville Hot, Creamy Jalapeno and Spicy Hot Honey. Other items included Green Goddess, Parmesan Ranch (named 2024 Salad Dressing of the Year by the Association of Sauces & Dressings) and a Hidden Valley Cheezy Ranch co-branded with Kellanova’s Cheez-It cracker brand.

Among new offerings from Litehouse Inc., Sand Point, Idaho, were three new Litehouse Loaded offerings: Fry Sauce

Taco Sauce and a Buffalo Sauce. In other news, Newman’s Own Foundation, Westport, Conn., extended its line with Newman’s Own Southwest Ranch Dressing. In another cross-category move, Tajín USA International partnered with Unilever to develop Hellmann’s new Chili Lime Mayonnaise Dressing co-branded with Tajín Clásico seasoning.

Vinaigrettes also were in the spotlight. Another PLMA Salute to Excellence winner was Walmart’s bettergoods Strawberry Champagne Vinaigrette Salad Dressing. Mooney Farms, Chico, Calif., extended its Bella Sun Luci Italian Kitchen Line with two new Vinaigrettes—Meyer Lemon and Champagne—and noted that both were 100% olive oil with no seed oils. Also taking a health approach was California’s Health Nut restaurant chain. It partnered with Litehouse to bottle and distribute four Health Nut Dressings nationwide: Original House, Spicy Asian, Sesame, and Ranch. They are gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan friendly and three varieties are made with apple cider vinegar.

What’s another big “dill” in dressings and sauces? Dill pickle flavor. It featured in Ayoh Inc.’s new Dill Pickle Mayo Sando Sauce, part of a new line of sauces from YouTube star Molly Baz, known for her love of “brash flavors.” This January saw Cleveland Kitchen, Cleveland, introduce two new sauces, a Kimchi Ranch Everything as well as a Dill Pickle Buffalo Everything. Last summer also saw Kraft-Heinz introduce a versatile Kraft Pickle Mayonnaise Dressing.

What’s Cooking?

Cooking, dipping and pasta sauces saw innovation in many directions.

Amsterdam’s Flora Food Group introduced Country Crock Drizzle & Sizzle Sauce, which may be squeezed directly onto vegetables, spread onto toast, or added to the skillet in place of regular cooking oil or dairy-based butter (and it reportedly cooks with less spattering). Others including Chosen Foods, San Diego; and Primal Kitchen, Oxnard, Calif., launched new dipping sauces touting avocado oil instead of seed-based oils. New from Chosen Foods were three Dip & Drizzle Sauces: Chicken, Burger, and Everything Bagel. Primal Kitchen introduced four items: Chicken Dippin', Avocado Lime, Special Sauce and a Yum Yum Sauce.

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For pasta sauce, Campbell’s Prego brand added Creamy Pesto offerings, expanding beyond pasta as the line may be used on vegetables, pizza, poultry, seafood, sandwiches, and more. Campbell notes that pesto is the fastest-growing sector in Italian sauces. Its three flavors are Basil, Roasted Garlic, and Parmesan. Barilla Group, Northbrook, Ill., likewise extended its pesto line with three more offerings: Creamy Tomato, Sweet and Spicy Pepper and Vegan.

More new products brought ideas to pasta sauces. After learning that more than 92% of consumers discard unused, jarred pasta sauce, Le Sauce & Co, New York, N.Y., launched five pasta sauces in 8.8oz pouches—portioned for two servings. Varieties include Classic Marinara, Savory Provencal, Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pesto, Spicy Pomodoro, and Tomato Basil. In other news, Bionaturae, North Stonington, Conn., introduced three imported Certified Organic Pasta Sauces. Mizkan also added two Ragu Hidden Heroes varieties to its line with more vegetables included. A Captain Marinara offering delivers as much as 40% of a daily recommended intake and a Creamy Tomato Squad offers 30% of daily recommended intake per serving.