Sugar has received much bad press in recent months, and consumers are taking notice. According to Mintel global food science analyst Stephanie Mattucci, many consumers are turning their backs not just on sugar, but on sweet tastes altogether.

Speaking at the IFT show in Chicago this week, she said food and drink manufacturers were looking for alternatives to sweet – and sour flavours in particular were on the rise.

“The [UK’s] Action on Sugar campaign is really affecting consumer opinion on sugar,” she said. “Forty-three per cent have noticed an increase in media coverage on how sugar affects health in the past year….Flavours that can offer alternatives to sweet are going to become more appealing.”

Why sour?

Mattucci said the global trend toward more sour ingredients was driven by more than just an aversion to sugar; globalisation has exposed consumers to more sour flavours, from Greek yoghurt, to fermented Korean kimchi, to Chinese sour plum, or German sour apple.

In addition, as Western consumers yearn for more ‘real foods’, traditional preparation techniques, like fermentation and pickling, are gaining in popularity, spurring development of other sour-tasting foods and drinks for the modern consumer.

As a result, sour beverages like drinking vinegars – known as shrubs – have seen a resurgence in the West. Although they have been popular for many years in Southeast Asia, shrubs were more well-known in Europe among the ancient Greeks, and were consumed by 18^th century Americans.

Acid whey drinks are also beginning to proliferate on a global level, as manufacturers seek ways to use this nutritious by-product of Greek yoghurt production….

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