Texture is a powerful driver affecting the taste perception of what we eat and also acts as a focal point of many food and drink innovations due to its ability to entice consumers to try a new product.
Here, Katya Witham, Senior Food & Drink Analyst at Mintel, explores the increasing focus on different textures in the German food and drink market, where brands are becoming more creative in leveraging texture claims to better appeal to consumers’ senses.
In Germany, yogurt brands are using textural ingredients to boost a product’s sensory experience, ranging from indulgent chocolate and biscuit pieces to muesli and granola mixes. For example, Rewe Beste Wahl Crunchy Apple and Banana Flavoured Yogurt features 10% crunchy muesli mix comprising oat flakes, almond, spelt, coconut flakes and barley malt extract.
The German food sector has also seen a noticeable upswing of descriptors such as “thin” and “extra-thin”, which are used to lend products an elegant, sophisticated touch or to draw on the interaction between thinness and crispiness. Italissimo Thin & Crispy Pizza is stone-oven-baked and contains crunchy fresh baby spinach leaves and basil as well as Gorgonzola and Grana Padano cheeses.
Indulgent, thick textures have also become increasingly popular in Germany’s yogurt category over the last few years, with brands increasingly accentuating their creations’ creaminess. Kerrygold Yogurt from Pasture Milk, for example, is described as a specially creamy product containing 7% fat, ideal on its own or with fresh fruit, but also to prepare sauces and dips.
Chia seeds are increasingly featured in the German juice and smoothies sector, giving drinks the nutritious benefit of healthy plant protein, while also providing a thick and distinctive, food-like texture. Mega Chia Coconut Chia Seed Drink is a good example of this trend, containing omega-3 fatty acid and antioxidants.
Sweet bakery brands, on the other hand, increasingly use a combination of textures. Beyond claims such as softness, moistness, lightness or sponginess which are typically the positive textural qualities associated with cakes, the ‘crunchy’ and ‘melt’ textural groups are perhaps the most interesting to observe. DeBeukelaer Nougat Cream Filled Cookies are described as being crispy and can be heated in the microwave to create a melting core of nougat.
Texture remains an undeveloped territory for drinks innovation, with few new drinks launches currently looking to promote alternative textures apart from carbonation. However, in the sports and energy drinks sector we have seen interesting launches that utilise gel texture such as Taxofit Sport Apple Flavoured Power Liquid Gel to convey convenience. The fluid features a non sticky texture and can be consumed without extra water intake.
Katya Witham is Senior Food and Drink Analyst at Mintel with a dedicated field of focus on Germany. Katya draws on her comprehensive knowledge of the market to identify and explore the major trends across various FMCG categories, providing the insights needed to successfully navigate the German market.
