The future of snacking is flavourful, functional and fearlessly inventive. The latest crop of standout concepts – fresh from the 2025 IFTSA product development competitions, SNAXPO’s Flavor Showdown and Lay’s annual Do Us A Flavor contest – highlights a new generation of creators designing snacks to solve real-world problems, embrace global palates and push the sensory boundaries of what a snack can be.
From sushi reimagined as a crunchy pocket to a beef-flavoured chocolate bar and fruit leather strips topped with cream made from eggshells, these products push the boundaries of taste, texture and purpose.
Meet the next generation creating world-changing products
A probiotic snack to improve HIV treatment. A s’mores-inspired treat that’s safe for kids with food allergies. Fruit leather strips topped with cream made from eggshells. These are just some of the products dreamed up by the students participating in the Institute of Food Technologists Student Association’s latest servo of challenges.
35th Annual IFTSA & Mars Product Development Competition
A chance for students to apply their classroom knowledge to a real-world challenge by developing, marketing and pitching a new food product that could succeed commercially.
Cornell University’s submission – NoriNom – is a shelf-stable, vegan sushi-inspired snack built from a whey-fortified crispy rice puff glazed in sweet soy sauce and topped with edamame mash and marinated oyster mushrooms. Protein and umami in a portable, snackable format.
From Mexico’s Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey comes Sargeant Burrito, a ready-to-eat vegan burrito tailored for soldiers and field workers. Comprising ‘chicken’ seasoned with lion’s mane mushroom (to support cognitive function), rice, beans and dry guacamole in a gluten-free wrap, it heats in minutes thanks to a flameless heating pouch.
The students of Purdue University devised PB Jems, which transforms the nostalgic PB&J sandwich into a frozen, plant-based dessert. These bite-sized treats feature a creamy oat milk base swirled with raspberry and date puree, enrobed in a peanut butter coating. High in fibre and low in sugar.
The students of California’s Chapman University were thinking of beauty when creating Pele Passion, a beverage packed with collagen and biotin in a lacose-free milk base. Targeting Gen Z consumers, it offers a daily wellness ritual in a brightly branded single-serve bottle.
Developing Solutions for Developing Countries
Sponsored by IFT’s Feeding Tomorrow Fund, this competition challenges students to design products that improve food security, use local resources and reduce environmental impact.
Bogor Agricultural University students wanted to showcase the versatility of Indonesian ingredients with JipNut, a high-fibre cookie bar made from porange flour, popcorn, peanuts and palm sugar. It’s wrapped in biodegradable corn husk packaging and designed to enhance both local nutrition and economic development through sustainable snacking.
TesfaTena from McGill University is a nutrient-dense snack crafted from climate-resilient Ethiopian staples: teff, sorghum and moringa. Developed to combat malnutrition among vulnerable populations, the bar delivers critical micronutrients like iron and iodine in a mild, chewy format suitable for children and breastfeeding mothers.
NC State University’s Kijani Bar incorporates leafy greens – jute mallow, kale and amaranth – into a sweet granola bar. Designed for Kenyan school feeding programmes, the bar combines familiar flavours with modern convenience to help children meet daily nutrition needs in an accessible format.
Smart Snacks for Kids Product Development Competition
Challenges students to create fun, nutritious and USDA-compliant snacks for children and teens.
StripeeFruiteez from Bogor Agricultural University are chewy strawberry fruit leather strips topped with a cheesecake cream fortified with calcium from eggshells. Designed to be both fun and functional, these snacks encourage calcium intake in a child-friendly format that appeals to both kids and parents.
The vegan, allergen-free Blueberry Brain Bars by Cornell students pair a chewy cookie base made from upcycled apple pomace with a tangy blueberry jam and chickpea-date filling. Designed to boost fibre intake and cognitive performance in a school-safe treat.
Cornell again comes to the fore with IamFan, a fusion snack featuring puffed brown rice, freeze-dried vegetables, jackfruit floss and chewy pineapple, all tied together with a pineapple-sesame sauce.
McGill’s Astrobites are planet-shaped mochi cookies with date centres and navy bean icing. Kids can decorate each cookie using quinoa and coconut sprinkles, offering a fun, educational snacking experience that blends nutrition, creativity and interactive play.
From the University of Costa Rica, BeS’More is a modern take on the s’more. Made from chickpeas and oats at its base, it’s free from common allergens and added sugar, while delivering 5g of protein per serving.
Zogo & Blee from the students of Umas Amhert is a DIY cookie kit featuring gluten-free banana and chickpea dough, paired with chocolate and fruit leather rolls. Designed to promote creativity, fine motor skills and nutrition.
“From addressing food insecurity to meeting rapidly evolving consumer demands, the need for innovative product development has never been greater,” said Christina Ginardi, director of Academic Engagement at IFT. “These finalists are a prime example of the type of creative problem solving that is needed to create products that commercially succeed while helping to solve key issues in our global food system.”
SNAXPO25 Flavor of the Year Awards
The ever-popular flavour showdown showcased 10 leading seasoning and flavour companies competing for top honours:
Sweet winner: Lemon Poppy Chow (from Elite Spice)
A nostalgic crowd-pleaser with a modern twist: candy-coated rice cereal squares dusted in bright lemon poppy seasoning. Sweet, citrusy and crunchy, it conjures memories of holiday treats while offering a sophisticated adult flavour profile.
Savoury winner: Bacon Jam (from Chesapeake Spice)
A vegan-friendly seasoning made with cane sugar, chipotle pepper and hickory smoke. Its deep, rich flavour recalls the indulgence of slow-cooked bacon jam but in a clean label, kosher formulation perfect for chips, popcorn or crackers.
Other contenders impressed with globally inspired ideas:
- Pickleback Whiskey Glazed Donut Seasoning (Carolina Ingredients)
- Tiramisu Temptations (Malabar Ingredients)
- Maple Bacon Mustard (McClancy Foods & Flavors)
- Texas Toast (Fuchs Gruppe)
- Hawaiian BBQ (Kerry)
“The Flavor Showdown is genuinely a fun way to showcase the innovation and forward-thinking approach our members bring to snacking,” said Christine Cochran, CEO of SNAC International.
Lay’s 2025 Do Us A Flavor
Back after a seven-year hiatus, this iconic contest invites consumers to pitch the next great Lay’s flavour. This year’s standout three – developed in tandem with Frito-Lay’s culinary team with no artificial ingredients – include:
Lay’s Bacon Grilled Cheese: A savoury comfort-food blend inspired by Paula George’s late father’s recipe. Combines the smoky flavour of bacon with the gooey richness of grilled cheese on a crisp potato canvas: a bite of home for millions of snackers.
Lay’s Valentina & Lime: Araceli Huerta’s childhood snack comes to life in this fiery, tangy flavour. It delivers bold Latino flair with citrus, hot sauce and a perfect crunch.
Lay’s Wavy Korean-Style Fried Chicken: Neelia Lynn’s flavour pays homage to her time in South Korea. Sweet, spicy and umami-rich, this Wavy chip captures the essence of crispy Korean street food with a satisfying texture.
All three are available in stores now across the US. Grab a bag, choose your favourite and cast your vote before 13 June. The winning flavour will earn its creator a $1 million grand prize.
“We are always looking to our consumers to inspire the next great flavour of Lay’s,” said Denise Truelove, SVP of Marketing at PepsiCo Foods. “Only Lay’s can turn a great idea from our fans into a delicious potato chip in record time.”
Trend disruptors
From unexpected flavour mashups to category-defying formats, these new launches aren’t just breaking the mould – they’re shaping the next era of snacking. What unites them is bold innovation: whether for charity, nostalgia, novelty or gourmet elevation, each disruptor reimagines what’s possible from a humble snack.
Lemonade Potato Chips: From the house of Utz comes a sweet-tart summer snack is the first of its kind – chips flavoured with real lemon juice, lemon oil and sugar. A portion of sales supports childhood cancer research through Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.
Miller Lite x Pringles: Kellanova brings the backyard grill to the chip aisle with Pringles imbued in beer can chicken and grilled beer brat flavours. Featuring malt, hops and smoky seasoning, they capture the essence of summer barbecues.
“These crisps marry the best flavours of summer into one delicious bite,” said Mauricio Jenkins, Pringles US marketing head.
Beef Chocolate Bar: Inspired by Blumenthal’s earlier avant-garde creation, the OxChoc from The Fat Duck, this version is made with dark chocolate, reduced homemade beef stock and Guinness, then seasoned with an Oxo cube blend for extra depth. The overall result is unexpectedly balanced: a bite-sized treat that walks the line between dessert and dish, pushing the envelope on how meat can function in sweet applications.
Created for a special menu by Hinds Head to celebrate Great British Beef Week, it’s the meaty-sweet innovation that nobody saw coming.
Do you have a standout snack?
Texas-based CPG accelerator SKU is now accepting applications for its Fall ’25 Track, kicking off on 26 August. The intensive 12-week programme pairs market-ready brands with a hand-picked team of top-tier mentors and delivers a real-world curriculum covering everything from retail strategy to fundraising.
SKU has helped more than 150 startups into household names, including authentic, Mexican-American better-for-you brand Siete, which PepsiCo acquired for $1.2 billion last year.
SKU's hybrid programme culminates in a high-impact pitch event on 19 November. Apply by 31 May.
