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Whether it’s a familiar favorite or an adventurous new bite, fruit flavors are often a go-to for consumers. In fact, 85% of consumers claim to always choose a fruit flavor when available. With fruit flavors being associated with freshness, seasonality, and global intrigue, it is no surprise that consumer taste preferences for fruits are evolving. To uncover sentiments and flavor preferences for fruit profiles in sweet foods, we’re sharing insights from our proprietary Fruit Flavor Study.

Consumer Drivers

Context is essential when exploring fruit preferences and trending flavors. Fruit-flavored products resonate with consumers because they are perceived as delivering natural sweetness, a refreshing experience, and abundant choice. Seasonality also plays a key role in cravings for fruit flavors. For example, orchard fruits often peak in popularity during the fall, while exotic fruits gain traction in warmer months corresponding with harvest cycles. According to Datassential, prickly pear is the top indexing fruit flavor on U.S. menus during the summer months.

Fruit Flavor Sentiments

Berries & Summer Fruits:

Consumers continue to show strong interest in berries and summer favorites like strawberries, blueberries, and watermelon. These fresh, vibrant flavors work beautifully across sweet categories. Pairing them with complementary notes or introducing unexpected, innovative fruits can create exciting new taste experiences.

Orchard Fruits:

Orchard fruits remain tried-and-true staples. Apples, pears, and similar flavors continue to hold strong appeal, with consumers expecting these familiar favorites to maintain a strong presence on shelves.

Exotic Fruits:

More adventurous flavors are gaining traction as consumers become increasingly curious about global taste profiles. Exotic fruits such as mango and dragon fruit are moving from niche to mainstream, and consumers want to see these unique flavors reflected in the products they purchase.

Citrus Fruits:

Citrus fruits like oranges, limes, and tangerines offer opportunities for reinvention. Introducing nuanced varieties or regional specialties can elevate citrus to the next level and help deliver a more premium flavor.

Fruit Flavors to Watch

By integrating consumer survey results with industry data on menu presence and product innovation, we’ve uncovered fruit flavors you’ll want to watch. These encompass both familiar favorites as well as bold, distinctive profiles gaining momentum.

• Berries & Summer Fruits: Black Raspberry | Marionberry | Black Currant
• Exotic Fruits: Prickly Pear | Guava | Dragonfruit
• Orchard Fruits: Pear | Apricot | White Peach
• Citrus: Yuzu | Mandarin | Blood Orange

Translating it to Taste

While seasonal and familiar fruits maintain strong appeal, consumers are also increasingly drawn to exotic and tropical varieties that offer a sense of discovery. For product developers, this creates opportunities to innovate through the “Approachable Adventure” technique—combining well-known fruit flavors with more unique or unexpected ones to balance familiarity and novelty. Additionally, pairing fruits with complementary notes such as cinnamon, honey, or dessert-inspired profiles enhances depth and complexity of flavor.

Fruit Flavor Inspiration in Application

• Strawberry Basil Lemonade Ice Pop featuring strawberry, lemonade, and basil flavors and a juicy enhancer.
• Orange Cinnamon Tea Cookie featuring orange, cinnamon, and black tea flavors and a juicy enhancer.
• Pineapple Berry Pectin Jelly featuring pineapple and mixed berry flavors and a juicy enhancer.

Considering what’s next in your product innovation? We’ve got you covered.

Download the Ripe for Discovery: Fruit Flavors PDF

Order your free flavor sample here.

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Let McCormick Flavor Solutions market insight and research experts get to work for you. Translate these trends into bold new ideas for your brand. Increase market share and get to your “what’s next.” Our technical flavor, seasoning and product development experts are also at your service to help meet the labeling and flavor profile needs for your products to capitalize on this consumer trend.
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