Consumers are becoming more adventurous in their use of condiments on a variety of fresh foods, and retailers and their supplier partners are taking note.

The latest condiment innovations from mayonnaise legend Hellmann’s include Spicy Mayo and Vegan Mayo, said Dana Cohen, corporate marketing chef for Unilever Food Solutions, which owns the Hellman’s brand.

Customers love Spicy Mayo, Cohen said, because it’s a simple way to add bold flavor and heat, both of which are in high demand.

“It’s consistent and versatile, so it’s perfect for a spread on cold or hot sandwiches — like a spicy fried chicken sandwich — as a drizzle on bowls or sushi or as a dipping sauce for items like wings or chicken tenders.”

The new Vegan Mayo, meanwhile, is closest in taste and performance to the Hellman’s Real Mayo, she said.

Customers love that they can use it for dressings, dips and spreads, which appeal to all types of consumers, including those with lifestyle or dietary needs.

Retail and foodservice operators also love Hellman’s Ancho Chipotle Sauce, which features smoky and spicy flavors with a hint of sweetness to round out the flavor.

“Retail delis always surprise us with their creative uses for this product, like as a drizzle for prepared hot meals, as a glaze for wings, or even as an ingredient to put a fun twist on traditional chicken salad,” Cohen said. “It works great in hot and cold applications.”

And instore deli workers can learn a lot more from Unilever Food Solutions about how to incorporate Hellman’s products into their prepared foods lineups.

“We have so much knowledge and inspiration on how operators can maximize the usage of our products to save time and labor while creating consistently delicious items,” Cohen said.

Take the holidays, one of the busiest times of the year in the deli. The Unilever culinary team worked with the company’s customer marketing teams to develop a Retail Deli Holiday Concept Guide to assist operators with driving traffic and creating delicious and easy holiday prepared dishes consumers will love, Cohen said.

More and more consumers are looking for cleaner label products with no preservatives, Cohen said.

To meet that growing need, Hellmann’s now offers its Real Mayonnaise without EDTA in foodservice formats.

“Hellmann’s Simple Mayonnaise can be used in all the same ways a chef would use traditional mayo, so it makes a great base for any ingredients to be added to create unique dips, spreads, sauces and more. With the perfect balance in taste, it really enhances anything else you add to it.” 

Mixing it up 

Consumers are becoming more adventurous in their choice of condiments, said Amy Marks-McGee, founder of Trendincite LLC.

“They’re experimenting with different flavor combinations and customizing. Brands are taking popular condiment flavors and combining them into one condiment.”

Take Frank’s RedHot new line of Dip’n Sauce and Squeeze Sauce in varieties like Buffalo, Hot Honey, and Sriracha, Marks-McGee said. Or French’s new Creamy Dill Pickle Mustard.

And expect to see even more cross-channel condiment movement.

“There’s a lot of activity in condiments used at quick service restaurants, which I believe will eventually trickle down into condiment flavors on grocery shelves.”

QSR’s already bottling their sauces to be sold at grocery stores include Subway, which partnered with T. Marzetti Company to bottle the brands Baja Chipotle, Creamy Italian MVP, Roasted Garlic Aioli, and Sweet Onion Teriyaki.

Chick-fil-A released a Barbeque Sauce and Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Sauce, which joined the fast-food giant’s Sauce and Polynesian Sauce, which launched in 2020.

And there’s celebrity chef Guy Fieri, who released his Flavortown Sauces in nine varieties, including his famous Donkey Sauce.

Limited-edition collaborations in the condiment aisle are also becoming more popular, Marks-McGee said.

TRUFF, for instance, collaborated with Lucasfilm on the Star Wars Dark Side Hot Sauce made with a blend of ghost peppers and the essence of black winter truffles. It comes packaged in a gift box and bottle, “inspired by the smoky veil and Darth Vader’s unmistakable helmet.”

In the UK, meanwhile, Heinz and Mattel collaborated on a limited-edition pink “Barbiecue Sauce” in honor of Barbie’s 65th anniversary. It combines vegan mayo and barbecue sauce, with beetroot extract.

Plant-based and vegan have made their mark on condiments in recent years, Marks-McGee said.

NIÚKE Foods, for instance, has launched VMAYO, a vegan mayonnaise made from a blend of sunflower oil, chickpeas, and beans. It’s available in eight flavors: Basil, Beet, Carrot, Coleslaw, Garlic, Merquen (smoked chili peppers), Original, and Sriracha.

Kraft Heinz has added NotMayo Squeeze to its portfolio, and Duke’s has introduced Plant-Based Mayo.

Mellody by MeliBio, meanwhile, debuted Spicy Habanero, its version of a vegan Hot Honey.

Buffalo, BBQ, and Hot Honey are all trending condiment flavors that are versatile and work well in instore deli, prepared foods, meat & poultry, seafood, and produce.

Now trending: Trendincite’s condiments to keep an eye on in ‘24

Ranch

Ranch continues to be a very popular condiment flavor. It is so popular that it has a cult following. Brands are experimenting and combining Ranch with other flavors such as Buffalo and pickle. The latest launch is the Hidden Valley Ranch and Cheez-It partnership on the Hidden Valley Cheezy Ranch. Ranch has made its way into ice cream, cotton candy, chips, snacks, bacon, and even lip balm by Burt’s Bee.

BBQ

From American to Korean to Mexican, BBQ flavors are a mainstay. With grilling season approaching, I anticipate more activity and new launches. For example, Yo Mama’s added Hickory BBQ to its range. Momofuku Goods launched Korean BBQ sauces in two varieties: Sweet & Savory and Sweet & Spicy. Tenayo introduced Barbecue Sauces in Spicy Al Pastor and Poblan flavors. An interesting launch is Ace Hardware’s Loud Mouth™ Barbeque line in Boom Shaka-Laka – Apple Habanero BBQ Sauce and Kaa-Blamo! – Hot n’ Spicy BBQ Sauce.

Spicy

To satiate consumers’ appetite for excitement and adventure, spicy flavors are going strong. Spicy condiments such as Hot Honey and Chili crunch/crisp continue to be on trend.

Source: Amy Marks-McGee, founder, Trendincite LLC

New Kraft line taps in aioli popularity

The latest addition to Kraft’s condiment roster is its new Creamy Sauces line, which includes five aiolis and sauces.

Creamy Sauces is the first line to launch under the new Kraft Sauces rebrand, which consolidates all sauces, spreads, and salad dressings under one family for the first time, according to the company.

Alongside the new product line, Kraft Sauces features the company’s first logo change in ten years, boldly redesigned packaging, and a first-ever unified brand platform.

The sauces in the new line include Smoky Hickory Bacon Flavored Aioli, Chipotle Aioli, Garlic Aioli, Burger Aioli, and Buffalo Style Mayonnaise Dressing.

Aiolis have taken the restaurant and culinary scene by storm, with 77% of consumers expressing interest in trying new aioli flavors, according to Kraft.

It’s perfect for french fries, sandwiches, onion rings and many more food favorites.

This article is an excerpt from the June 2024 issue of Supermarket Perimeter. You can read the entire Condiments feature and more in the digital edition here.