What is the perception of heat levels in spicy foods? How do these perceptions vary across the globe? Which food applications are ready for spicy innovations? As the leaders in capsicum and pepper extracts, in 2019, Kalsec conducted consumer, analytical and sensory research to provide food processors, manufacturers, Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies with insights to develop innovative hot and spicy food product offerings.
Global Consumer Trend Analysis
Kalsec conducted consumer trend research in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. As expected, we gained an immense amount of insight regarding consumer perceptions of heat levels, preferences for spice in specific applications and new spicy food trends.
A few key findings:
- Interest in and consumption of hot and spicy foods continue to grow. More than half of global consumers are eating spicier food more often than they were just one year ago. This number doubled compared to 2017 data.
- Consumers from the Asia-Pacific region enjoy the spiciest foods.
- More than half of global consumers agree that the source of heat, such as the specific pepper varietal, matters to them.
Download the full 2019 report to gain more consumer insight about hot and spicy food trends.
Global Spicy Sensory Research
Do you often wonder about heat levels in food when you are traveling? How hot is the ‘hot’ option, really? Our sensory and analytical research included spicy food products, like salsa and hot sauce, from nine countries. This research provides insight into the heat level that is expected based on hot and spicy products in different regions of the world and which heat levels are desired by consumers.
Defining Mild, Medium, and Hot
We conducted sensory and analytical research to set parameters for mild, medium and hot in the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. This data connects consumers’ perceptions of what they prefer (medium, typically) with what ‘medium’ actually means in each region—and they are not the same heat level!
Pioneers in Pepper Extraction
Kalsec is a pioneer in the extraction of peppers and analysis of spice extracts. As consumers’ desire for more specialized heat and peppers grows, Kalsec maintains our innovative research and development efforts to provide creative solutions for customers’ challenges. The information provided in this eBook is a result of our endeavor to provide our customers with actionable insights they can use to develop and position new or current hot & spicy products.
To read more about global insights on trends for hot and spicy foods from our latest survey, follow this link: What’s Hot & What’s Not: Hot & Spicy Consumer Survey Results