Spark Seasonal Food and Beverage Innovation With FlavorSum’s 2026 Flavor Guide

KALAMAZOO, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FlavorSum, a North American flavor producer, presents the 2026 Seasonal Flavor Guide for food and beverage developers. Built with input from insights experts, flavorists, and application scientists, the fourth edition captures seasonal flavor direction across Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

The digital resource highlights opportunities for seasonal innovation within categories such as:

• Bakery
• Cultured Dairy
• Gummy VMS (Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements)
• Ice Cream
• Flavored Alcoholic Beverages
• Refreshing Beverages
• Spirits
• Sports and Energy Drinks
• Sugar Confections
• Water-based Frozen Treats

Dave Franz, FlavorSum’s Chief Commercial Officer, underscores the draw of fresh flavor experiences. “The number of North American shoppers who will respond to new flavors in foods and beverages increased to 46%, up 5 points in the last year. And seasonal launches grew +9% annually in the last 5 years, outpacing the -0.5% CAGR in total new product activity.” Franz explains, “Seasonal flavor success depends on connecting the taste to shopper expectations. We strengthen featured flavor performance with insights, flavor innovation, applications, validation, and commercialization.”

The 2026 Seasonal Flavor Guide highlights the top 10 seasonal flavor launches in North America and how flavor preferences shift in social conversations throughout the year. Phil a’Becket, Senior Consumer Insights Manager, shares more. “We continue to watch how flavor popularity changes over time, providing developers with insights to help with flavor selection,” he notes.

“We include our predictions for next year’s leading seasonal flavors. Eight of our 2025 ‘Flavors to Watch’ choices moved into top positions in the 2026 results, confirming the trends gaining real momentum.”

Download a copy of FlavorSum’s 2026 Seasonal Flavor Guide here.

About FlavorSum

FlavorSum is the premier flavor partner built for growing food & beverage brands, accelerating their success with confidence by combining custom flavor design, technical expertise, and reliable execution. FlavorSum is a portfolio company owned by Warburg Pincus, a global private equity firm.