Just as there are so many ingredients combined in a good sauce, there are many factors that combine to impact new product development in sauces, dressings and spreads. And this is true—seemingly for better and for worse.

Kerry, the world’s leading taste and nutrition company, has reviewed extensive research and examined global trends in emerging flavors in an effort to identify the top global taste trend in 2021. The result: barbecue—in all the many variations that can arise when cooking with fire—is electrifying consumer appetites and elevating expectations for new and interesting flavors. This includes in snacks, meats, plant-based meat alternatives, vegetables, sauces, dips, marinades, and seasonings.