What’s the next sriracha? Named after the city of Si Racha in Thailand, the condiment, with its profile of heat and a touch of sweet, has changed the way consumers view and use hot sauce. It has also sparked the race for innovation in the pourable food topping category — dressings, marinades and sauces — and has product developers turning to a new set of ingredients for innovative recipe and formulation ideas.

Over-21 flavors—spirits, wine and beer–are making their way into many varied food products, with meat and poultry no exception. This is where flavor technology comes into play. Mizkan America’s Food Ingredient Division is clearly on top of this trend with product offerings such as bourbon and moonshine reductions.

The word natural remains a powerful force in food and beverage product development. While the term, when used on front-of-pack labels, has created legal complications for some manufacturers, creating the perception that the ingredients in a formulation are natural remains a goal.