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HOW GLOBAL FLAVORS ARE TAKING OVER DAIRY, DELI, & BAKERY (CONT.)
Mediterranean and Middle Eastern are What’s Next
If there was one clear global cuisine trend driving innovation at the IDDBA show in New Orleans this summer, it was that Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors and ingredients are clearly inspiring the industry. Booths were showcasing flavors and ingredients like hummus (including a wide range of premium, chef- inspired, alternative bases and uniquely-flavored options), pita chip snacks, tahini (showing up in a range of baked goods, like tahini chocolate chip cookies), and flavors like za’atar and harissa on breads, sandwiches, or in salads.
These options have been catching on in the U.S. for years, but they are resonating now because they combine flavor with a health halo that makes consumers feel good about choosing them. That’s particularly important as younger consumers age and start to focus on their health more, a natural progression for any generation. Ingredients like olive oil, chickpeas, roasted peppers, dates, olives, labneh (the new Greek yogurt), and baba ghanoush pack lots of fresh, bright flavor while ensuring consumers don’t feel like they are making poor health choices.
When considering these trends, however, it’s important to ensure they fit your consumers’ needs and that they are sustainable for your brand. Some flavors and ingredients become key consumer needs and enter the mainstream, like sriracha or hummus, and your customers count on you to have them available.
But our trend-centric culture is also causing some flavors and ingredients to flame out quickly, adding more noise to the landscape. Dubai chocolate, for instance, is quickly going from on-trend option to oversaturated in record time. Remember that trends are simply one tool in your toolbox as you innovate.
Ramping Up Global Innovation
It’s clear that global flavors are not only connecting with consumers today, but that supermarket operators should prepare for even more demand in the future. As Gen Z and Millennials age, they’ll look for options that fit their changing lifestyles – global flavors for an easy lunch, a quick dinner, or options that they can feed their growing families.
The demographic changes are undeniable: younger, more diverse consumers are reshaping what “everyday food” means in America. The retailers and brands who thrive won’t be those who treat global flavors as a novelty or relegate them to a single “ethnic foods” endcap. Instead, winners will integrate these flavors throughout their departments: in the sandwich case, at the salad bar, in the bakery, across prepared foods, etc.
Start by asking yourself: Do your grab-and-go options reflect how your community actually eats? Are you innovating for the customers you want to attract, or only the ones you’ve always served?
The supermarkets that answer these questions honestly can become vibrant destinations where a new generation of consumers discovers that the most exciting global flavors aren’t found at restaurants or specialty stores, but right in their neighborhood grocery store’s dairy, deli, and bakery departments.
About the Authors
Maeve Webster, President of Menu Matters, has been a go-to thought leader, consultant, and trend expert in the food industry for over 20 years. Her clients rely on her to identify critical trends that impact the industry, consumers, and their business specifically, and to explain the relevance of those trends in a way that is engaging, approachable, and actionable.
Maeve has an MBA from the University of Illinois, a culinary degree from the Le Cordon Bleu program, honed her skills at two large industry research firms, and for 4 years ran a successful café/bakery business in Bennington, VT, which was named “best café” in each of the years it was in
operation under her leadership.
Mike Kostyo, Vice President of Menu Matters, has been a leading voice in food industry trends and insights for over a decade, known for digging through the messy information landscape in order to uncover unique insights that help brands think differently. Viewing food through a human- first, anthropological lens shaped by his master’s degree in gastronomy, Mike brings depth and expertise to industry research and analysis. He excels at collaborative problem-solving with clients, bringing high energy, humor, and a personal touch to every project.
Based in Chicago, Kostyo is also a freelance writer who regularly contributes to food industry publications. In addition to his gastronomy degree from Boston University, he has certificates in the culinary arts, baking arts, wine, and artisan cheese production and he proudly serves on the advisory committee for the Arkansas Food Innovation Center at the Market Center of the Ozarks.
WHAT’S IN STORE | 2026 © 2026 International Dairy Deli Bakery Association
Industry Landscape
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