Novel or nasty?

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Posted at 10:32AM, 17 July 2009 by Carol Wilson - Food writer

Supermarkets and food companies constantly strive to bring us new products - some are good, some not so good, while some are just plain weird.

I think several of the best examples come from America (where else?), the home of the Fancy Food Show held every year in New York. Last month was the 55th annual show - a huge event, featuring hundreds of thousands of products from all over the world, ranging from the outlandish to the sublime.

Dark chocolate-covered bacon sprinkled with sea salt sounds like a product you'd go out of your way to avoid

America's food manufacturers come up with ever more innovative ideas in their quest to tempt jaded palates, but I'm not excited by juniper flavoured brownies , wild salmon in coffee barbecue sauce (just heat in the microwave) or espresso balsamic syrup. Dark chocolate-covered bacon sprinkled with sea salt sounds like a product you'd go out of your way to avoid - and would anyone really buy Tabasco Bread Pudding Ice Cream or 'Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Pie Dessert Beverage'?

British companies are just as quick off the mark with products we never realised we needed, such as the world's first non-leaking tomato which is apparently easy to chop (no squirting juice) and won't make your sandwiches soggy; soft cheese in a squeezy tube; a range of dips with an astonishing shelf life of six months and aged fermented black garlic that can be chewed as a snack.

Perhaps the most intriguing new product is 'Roman Britain inspired ice cream' sold in 'Roman style pots' and made from 'ingredients which were enjoyed in Roman Britain nearly 2000 years ago'. There's also a new range of chocolates bizarrely flavoured with smoked sea salt and white pepper and even Japanese wasabi. Why?

How well the products will sell, only time will tell. Some novel products just didn't appeal to consumers and were soon abandoned. In the USA, coffee flavoured cola drinks were discreetly discontinued, as were French fries that could be cooked in the toaster and a 'Mexican' cheese spread with jalapeno chillies in a jar and sauerkraut juice. My question is not why they were withdrawn, but why they were even produced in the first place.

Here in the UK, salt and vinegar flavoured roasted peanuts, strawberries-and-cream flavoured Kit Kats and a powder that was mixed with water to produce a 'fresh orange drink' have quietly disappeared from supermarket shelves.

Where is all this taking us? Has the shock of the new and novelty for novelty's sake, rather than quality, freshness and flavour, become all that matters when it comes to our choice of food?

Comments

Chris Pakett

20 July 2009, 4:29PM
Chris Pakett

I think there is too much choice in most products, even food. Marketing departments are taking over the food industry as well. There is such a wide selections of some items you end up with just your original favourite. Very few come up to expectations. I recently tried to purchase Plain Potato Crisps without success. Out of 15 varieties on sale there was not a bag in the shop. I expect Curried Lemon (as proposed in Montey Python) will be available any time now

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MarieAlice

23 July 2009, 6:34PM
MarieAlice

I think it's healthy to explore new flavours and products. Not all will be a success, but there could be some hidden gems out there that nobody has yet to discover. I happen to love the combination of sweet and salty myself, but then again I love peanut butter and jam sandwiches!

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Ellie Reade

27 July 2009, 1:24PM
Ellie Reade

Have to say, I do agree that there are some strange combinations out there......but do LOVE plain chocolate coated Pretzels.....hmmm salty and sweet Have to make our own since they stopped selling them over here. I can also beat peanut butter and jam sandwiches....you must try Banana and Marmite sandwich!

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poppysuze

7 August 2009, 8:23AM
poppysuze

It`s all a matter of choice. . . peoples tastes change I never thought I would ever eat curry or chilli but now they`re two of my favourite dishes. Marmite, you either love it or hate it, I love it and its still on our shelves today in a squeezy bottle too!

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