Turning Up the Heat: Why Spicy Flavors Are Everywhere

Hot and spicy flavors are more than just a trend—they’re shaping how consumers experience food today. From snacks to sauces, people are craving bold, adventurous tastes that excite the palate while still meeting demands for clean, natural ingredients.

Why Consumers Love the Heat

Taste remains the top driver when choosing food, but consumers are also asking for shorter ingredient lists, natural profiles, and transparency. Hot and spicy foods deliver on both fronts: they’re bold, memorable, and often tied to real, recognizable ingredients.

Globally, chili varieties like jalapeño, sriracha, chipotle, cayenne, and peri peri are on the rise in new product launches. Spicy innovations are thriving thanks to trends like:

  • “Swicy” (sweet + spicy) flavor mashups

  • Hot honey combinations, nearly doubling in product launches from 2020–2024

  • Chipotle and sriracha leading the charge in snacks and sauces

Social media has only accelerated the movement, with viral spicy challenges and influencer recipes fueling demand for new heat-driven creations.

PRODRY®: Clean Label Heat Made Easy

To help brands capture these trends, Ohly’s PRODRY® culinary powders deliver the authentic flavor of hot sauces in a convenient, shelf-stable form. Spray-dried for depth of taste, they offer:

  • Clean label appeal

  • Easy handling compared to liquids

  • Strong flavor impact at low usage

  • Versatility across snacks, seasonings, marinades, sauces, and more

The PRODRY® range includes Chipotle Purée, Aged Red Jalapeño Sauce, Cayenne Pepper Sauce, The Original Louisiana® Hot Sauce, and Brined Jalapeño—each capturing distinct heat profiles that resonate with today’s consumer.

Real-World Inspiration

Formulators can easily bring these flavors to life. Think:

  • Sriracha-style seasoning on crackers with Aged Red Jalapeño Sauce Powder

  • Chipotle ranch seasoning on tortilla chips with Chipotle Purée Powder

Each delivers trending flavors with the clean label convenience consumers expect.

Turning Up the Heat with SPI Group

At SPI Group, we’re proud to partner with Ohly to bring PRODRY® hot sauce powders to our customers. If you’re ready to spice up your next innovation, reach out to us for samples and support.

Next
Next

Formulating for the GLP-1 Consumer – IFF Ingredients lead the way