Kerry Group introduced its 2025 North America “Taste Charts Smarts,” an interactive quiz to help food and beverage brands understand evolving consumer preferences and identify the most appealing flavors for their specific category.

The quiz is built on Kerry’s proprietary Taste Trends and Taste Charts, two tools that track the evolution of flavor across 13 global regions. Kerry’s Taste Charts map flavor performance into four tiers—Mainstream, Key, Up & Coming, and Emerging—based on consumer testing and proprietary data across categories like sweet, savory, citrus, dairy, salty snacks, and more. 

Combined with the 2025 Taste Trends, which reflect broader cultural and functional shifts in consumer flavor expectations, these insights provide a comprehensive view of what’s resonating and what’s next.

Taste Charts Smarts turns this data into an interactive, personalized experience. The quiz invites food and beverage innovators to test their flavor instincts and discover how closely they align with real consumer preferences. 

Participants receive tailored results based on their product category, including:

•    The three most appealing flavors in their respective super category: such as cold, dairy, hot beverages, savory, snack, or sweet snacks
•    A detailed look at the top-performing flavor in their specific sub-category
•    The most relevant 2025 Taste Trends to inspire future flavor innovation—designed to spark further ideation

For those seeking a deeper dive, the quiz also offers the opportunity to schedule a personalized demo, including a full flavor performance report and expert guidance from Kerry's team. Built on insights from over 75 distinct product categories, the quiz delivers a highly customized experience that reflects the specific flavor dynamics of each segment. With this tailored approach, brands can confidently develop new flavors or refine existing products based on what truly resonates with their target consumers.

“Our customers aren’t just looking for a list of what’s trending, they’re looking for confidence in their product development decisions,” said Elizabeth Horvath, vice president marketing, North America. “Taste drives consumer choice. The Taste Charts Smarts quiz encourages food and beverage brands to dig deeper beyond just flavor trends, uncovering taste profiles most appealing by sub-category. Backed by real consumer data, this practical tool turns inspiration into innovation.”

North American Flavor Dynamics
The Taste Charts Smarts quiz reflects regional preferences across both the U.S. and Canada highlighting both shared and regionally distinct preferences.

Key insights include:

• Beverage – Dairy & Hot: Indulgent, creamy flavors like French Vanilla, Milk Chocolate, and Vanilla remain prevalent across markets. Canada leans into seasonal flavors like Pumpkin Spice, while the U.S. embraces innovative flavor trends such as Cookie Butter.
• Beverage – Water & Cold Alcohol: Fruity profiles dominate. Canadian preferences lean towards tropical and citrus like Mango, Lime, and Strawberry, while U.S. consumers are drawn to spirited flavors like Margarita.
• Salty Snacks: Classics like Cheddar Cheese and Garlic remain popular across markets. Canada leans towards sweet-savory pairings like Sweet & Salty, while the U.S. leans into Bacon-forward offerings.
• Sweet Applications: Both markets enjoy timeless classics like Milk Chocolate. Canada favors comforting dessert flavors like Brownie and Cookies & Cream, while the U.S. explores complex profiles such as Coffee and Coconut.
• Savory: Smoky and cheesy notes resonate across both consumer markets. Canada highlights bold, spicy flavors like Applewood Smoke and Buffalo, whereas the U.S. leans into tangy options like Bacon Ranch.

Kerry’s Unique Approach
Kerry's approach stands apart by grounding its flavor insights in extensive consumer research, ensuring the results are not only market-relevant but strategically actionable. Designed for innovation teams across the food and beverage space, the quiz delivers practical, data-backed guidance for both new product development and flavor reformulation. Whether exploring new territories or optimizing existing favorites, the tool brings clarity to every stage of development.

Find more information about Kerry’s 2025 Taste Charts Smarts.