The journey begins online, but it has to be backed up by great taste.
Social media has become a platform for discovery. TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube Shorts are accelerating exposure to global flavors, combinations, and trends that would previously have taken longer to reach the mass market. Street food, cultural reinterpretations, and bolder blends are now circulating first on screen and then on store shelves.
But going viral doesn’t guarantee long-term success. What catches people’s attention on social media may encourage them to try a product, but whether they stick with it depends on the consumer’s sensory experience.
This is even more evident in categories such as meat and snacks, where comparisons are made quickly and the decision to repurchase is based entirely on taste, aroma, and texture.
Gen Z is diverse within itself.
Gen Z is not a monolithic group. Within it, there are different consumer profiles, with decision-making criteria that do not always follow the same logic. Some seek out snacks perceived as lighter and more in line with wellness, while others are drawn to the category out of curiosity, for their intensity, or because they’re trendy.
For brands, this calls for more flexible portfolios capable of addressing diverse preferences without losing clarity. This is evident in companies like PepsiCo, which organizes product lines tailored to different consumer perspectives, featuring brands associated with more balanced choices, such as Off The Eaten Path and PopCorners, to extensions more closely tied to intensity and cultural repertoire, such as the expansion of Pimenta Mexicana in Ruffles and Cheetos Crunchy in Brazil.
The flavors driving this trend
The quest for flavor here is more complex than simply “strong” or “spicy.” Flavor profiles such as hot honey, gochujang, and harissa show that Gen Z responds better to combinations that balance sweetness, acidity, smokiness, and fermentation in a more sophisticated way, always with a clear cultural reference.
Flavors that seem to come from a real place are also on the rise. That’s why Latin American, Asian, and Mediterranean cuisines continue to gain ground, alongside street food trends and culinary fusions that offer something this generation values highly: context, origin, and identity.
What does this mean for meat?
In the meat market, one opportunity lies in updating the flavor profiles of established product lines, introducing new taste profiles without alienating consumers from the familiar flavors they already recognize. Flavors such as barbecue, sweet chili, chipotle, Mexican chili, mustard, bacon, and Asian-inspired flavors are gaining ground precisely because they link familiar products to current consumer trends.
When it comes to meat products, this translation must take into account more than just the name of the flavor. Aroma, intensity, and texture must work together to ensure that the experience aligns with the product’s concept. A breaded cutlet with a signature sweet chili flavor, a chicken strip with an Asian twist, or a hamburger with a smoky barbecue profile, for example, must deliver a consistent sensory experience from the first bite to the very last.
When this concept is well-executed, the flavor is no longer just a launch gimmick but instead helps strengthen the product’s identity within an established line.
What does this mean for snacks?
In the snack category, this trend is even more pronounced, as the sector tends to adopt trends quickly and flexibly. Chips, extruded snacks, flavored popcorn, nuts, and crackers have become attractive platforms for exploring flavors with a stronger sense of identity, cultural relevance, and connection to new consumption occasions.
Among the flavors that are gaining popularity are Mexican chili, sweet chili, smoked, barbecue, lemon pepper, garlic and onion, Parmesan cheese, cheddar with bacon, chimichurri, and other variations inspired by Latin American and Asian cuisines.
How New Max is keeping pace with this innovation
The discussion is no longer just about keeping up with the latest trend, but about identifying which trends have the potential to evolve into products that are relevant to the market. For Gen Z, having a strong social media presence can boost visibility, but what sustains a brand goes beyond the initial novelty.
The key lies in developing flavors with a clear identity, excellent execution, and alignment with the consumer profile. When a trend is applied in a well-thought-out way, it ceases to be just a passing fad and begins to gain traction more consistently.
At New Max, we closely monitor the trends that influence consumer behavior and help redefine opportunities in the meat and snack sectors. We understand that translating market trends into products requires a balance between flavor, aroma, texture, industrial feasibility, and alignment with the brand’s vision.
That is why we work closely with our clients, providing technical support, analyzing market trends, and closely monitoring R&D teams. With a research and technical sales team that stays connected to the market, we help translate consumer trends into new product launches that are better aligned with what consumers are looking for and what the industry needs to deliver.
