News from America

Market analyst Datamonitor gives an insight into the trends that will be hitting the US in 2008

'The number of products launched in the US that either use or are designed to use steam as a cooking method tripled between 2005 and 2007'

The new year promises to be interesting as well as healthier. Probiotics are finally hitting the mainstream, courtesy of launches like Danone's Activia yogurt that achieved more than $150m in first year sales in the US.

But probiotics aren't limited to yogurt. In 2007 they moved into cheese with Kraft LiveActive Cheese – new in the US and Canada – as well as other dairy products and there are indications that chocolate might be next. Chocolate supplier Barry Callebaut's new technology enables the creation of a probiotic chocolate bar. Meanwhile Procter & Gamble is jumping on the probiotic bandwagon with its new Align daily probiotic supplement.

The buzz in food retailing is Tesco's opening of numerous Fresh & Easy Neighbourhood Market convenience stores on the west Coast of the US. The UK's largest food retailer hopes to reinvent the convenience store as the destination for fresh food. While it is too early to judge how its effort is going, 'fresh' is indeed hot.

New frozen foods that are cooked with steam in special microwave packages like new Rosetto Steam 'n' Eat ravioli in the US are an up and coming 'fresh' trend. The number of products launched in the US that either use or are designed to use steam as a cooking method tripled between 2005 and 2007, according to Datamonitor's Productscan Online.

High nutrient superfruits like acai and goji berries have recently been popping up in a widening array of food and drink in the retail sector. Superfruit looks to go mainstream in 2008 as larger companies begin to get into the game. Next year could also be great for emerging superfruits like yumberry. This subtropical fruit has been harvested for more than 2,000 years in China but is new to most of the world.

Hailed for its high antioxidant content and cranberry-like flavour, the yumberry is the basis of a new line of drinks in the US from Frutzzo Natural Juice including Yumberry cherry and Yumberry pomegranate blends.

In a world that is getting smaller by the minute, the continent of Africa remains a mystery for most. But that could be changing. Hot peppers like African bird's eye chilli – also known as peri-peri (pictured) – are beginning to appear in new sauces and condiments. Flavours from North Africa like couscous, for instance, are also gaining ground.

Making food 'better for you' without stripping it of the things we love is a challenge for food scientists. Increasingly this challenge is met with products that deliver a crunch that can help make up for reduced fat and calories. A number of new product reports claim 'crunchy' or 'crispy' tastes doubled between 2002 and 2006. Recent lines going down this route include McCain's frozen popcorn potatoes, Masterfood's new generation Max Snickers Clusters and Kellogg's Club puffed multi-grain snack crackers, all new in the US.

One consequence of ageing is our sense of smell and taste can start to diminish by the time we hit our 40s. To make up for this sensory loss, consumers are demanding hotter, spicier and bolder flavours. Sales of hot and spicy salsas are rising, as are bolder cheeses.

According to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, sales of blue cheese rose 6.3% in 2006. The word 'spicy' for new food and drink also doubled between 2003 and 2006. Look out for bold flavours popping up in new areas. It's already happening in Portugal where Adagio Moments yogurt drink was launched in a spicy flavour earlier this year with a blend of chocolate chips, strawberries and chilli peppers.

Caffeine lovers are in luck these days. In 2007 alone, caffeine found its way into sunflower seeds, mints, potato chips, jellybeans and even instant oatmeal. Meanwhile creative new ways to be 'green' can be seen in Finland, where Into Limetti, a lime long drink, is produced by fermentation using wind power, and Procter & Gamble's Pur Flavor Options enables consumers to flavour water as it comes out of the tap.

This article originally appeared in the Food Development Association's FD magazine. For more information on the FDA, go to http://www.fdaonline.co.uk/index.php