The global taste for desserts is insatiable. More than 8,000 launches of ice cream and other desserts in 2013 cap a five-year, worldwide launch trend that seeks to fill consumer demand for less guilt when indulging.¹

Food and beverage formulators often turn to U.S. dairy manufacturers for tasty, nutritional ingredients for their frozen, chilled and ambient dessert applications. Dairy ingredients, such as whey, permeate, cheese, and many more, provide the flavor, function and nutrition needed for guilt-free indulgence. Dairy ingredients and products from the United States help desserts product developers keep on-trend with category innovation. Learn more about U.S. dairy products in the Product Section.    

Trends in Desserts

The dessert category - frozen and chilled desserts as well as ambient temperature items like puddings and flan - is supported by ongoing growth of the ice cream category.  

Global sales of ice cream grew 30.4% from 2008 to 2013, and growth is projected to be 42.3% from 2013 to 2018. Chilled and shelf-stable desserts saw just 6.6% growth during the same period, but are projected to grow 18.6% from 2013 to 2018.²  

When it comes to the overall desserts category, ice cream leads the way. The category continues to innovate to help consumers enjoy better-for-you indulgences that meets developing demand for global tastes. 

Ice Cream Leads the Way

Ice cream - as an after-dinner treat, a midday (or anytime) snack, and even as a nutritional boost - continues to hold its own as one of the world's leading dessert items. On the heels of five years of consistent annual growth, the global ice cream segment is projected to gain 7.3% annually for the next five years (2013-2018).²  

Take-home product launches are the most popular items within the ice cream segment, and accounted for 35% of all product launches within the global dessert and ice cream market in 2012.³  

The world's consumers often look to U.S. ice cream trends. Economic development in China, Eastern Europe and the Middle East creates a taste for American ice cream even as global brand marketers acquire and refresh local favorites.⁴  

Better-for-You Indulgences

Within the take-home ice cream segment, low-fat positioning taps the need for improved indulgence offerings and led introductions with 14.9% of total global product launches in 2012.³  

To meet demand for good-for-you indulgence, frozen dessert introductions in recent years include tart frozen yogurt that features probiotic bacteria to improve digestion.⁴ Other value-added formulation trends include probiotics in other frozen and chilled desserts as well as the addition of prebiotics, omega-3 and added calcium.⁴  

Global Tastes

The American palate has advanced in recent years, as more and more households look to integrate different ethnic flavors into meals and desserts. In fact, 90% of American households regularly eat ethnic foods at home or while dining out.⁴  

In desserts, this translates to the introduction of items designed to appeal to Hispanic and Asian-American consumers in the United States. As U.S. ice creams are popular globally, new ethnic twists can provide crossover appeal to mainstream flavors consumers are eager to try around the globe.⁵  

For instance, frozen dessert flavors with ties to Asia create unusual taste profiles that meet the expectations of more sophisticated dessert diners. As a result, spices such as cardamom and ginger were among the Asian influences found in both U.S. and European ice cream products in 2013.⁵  

Blend U.S. dairy ingredients to desserts with indigenous flavors to help meet the desire for global tastes. The end result will be a dessert that contains the functional and nutritional benefits of U.S. dairy products with international flavor profiles consumers desire.  

Utilization

Dairy ingredients from the United States provide flavor, function and nutrition. The chart below illustrates the benefits of eight common dairy ingredients.