The Almond Board of California (ABC) has partnered with AI-powered food intelligence platform Tastewise and leading plant-based chefs BOSH! to help manufacturers stay ahead of rapidly evolving consumer tastes and drive new product innovation.

With consumers increasingly seeking foods that deliver on nutrition, functionality, and global flavours, ABC is turning to artificial intelligence to monitor emerging trends in real-time. Tastewise — a data-driven platform that analyses billions of social media posts, online recipes, restaurant menus and food photos — enables the Almond Board to identify what foods and ingredients are rising in popularity, and why.

“Staying on the pulse of constantly evolving consumer demand is imperative for food and beverage manufacturers,” ABC said. “Using AI helps us anticipate shifting culinary preferences long before they become mainstream.”

To demonstrate how AI-driven insights can translate into real product innovation, ABC has also partnered with popular plant-based recipe developers BOSH! to create new food concepts inspired by the trends uncovered by Tastewise.

AI Uncovers Three Fast-Growing Consumer Trends

Tastewise highlighted several emerging trends that present significant opportunities for food developers:

Protein-Powered Breakfasts: Consumers are increasingly seeking breakfasts that deliver sustained energy. Around 8 per cent of all breakfast-related social posts now mention protein, with conversations growing 10 per cent year-on-year.

Desserts That Support Digestion: Gut health continues to rank among the top functional health priorities. Social posts linking desserts with gut health have surged by 30 per cent year-on-year.

Global Plant-Based Palates: Korean cuisine is expanding rapidly within the plant-based space, showing a 46 per cent year-on-year rise in popularity.

By combining real-time AI analysis with culinary creativity, ABC aims to inspire manufacturers to develop almond-based solutions that align with these next-generation food trends — from high-protein breakfast concepts to gut-friendly desserts and globally inspired plant-based dishes.