By Lauren Matheny, Web Editor
Pumpkin spice: it’s not just for lattes any more.
The pumpkin flavoring trend has reached new heights during the start of the 2014 fall season. According to Datassential MenuTrends, which tracks marketing and sales in the food industry, pumpkin-inspired offerings in restaurants have increased 240% since 2008. Major food retailers have invested old standbys with the pumpkin flavor, introducing products like pumpkin spice Oreos, pumpkin spice M&Ms, and pumpkin spice Pringles.
Nielsen reported that sales for pumpkin spice flavored products rose to over $308 million in 2013, a 14% rise.
Starbucks introduced their pumpkin spice latte to much fanfare in 2003. It was first released in mid-October. Since then, the official annual release date of the latte (which receives a limited-run engagement each fall season) has grown earlier each year.
This fall, Starbucks provided pumpkin spice aficionados with the opportunity to get the latte on Tuesday, Aug. 26, by solving clues posted on social media. Starbucks customers who reported a secret password to their local barista “unlocked” the latte, making it available to every customer.
The international coffee chain also bumped up their marketing campaign this year, creating a Twitter handle for their limited-edition drink (@TheRealPsl has 94,100,000 followers on Twitter as of press time).
Though Starbucks started the pumpkin craze, many other coffee chains have been following suit: both Dunkin Donuts and Einstein Brothers Bagels have released limited-edition pumpkin menus, and McDonalds introduced a pumpkin spice latte of their own this fall.
The rage for pumpkin products begs the question: how much pumpkin is actually involved? For the majority of these flavorful treats, the answer is, “not much.” USA Today reported that the pumpkin spice latte contains no actual pumpkin. It does contain the spices typically found in a pumpkin pie (including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves). Other products cannot boast even this claim: those pumpkin spice Oreos previously mentioned contain none of the spices and no trace of pumpkin.
Most pumpkin products contain artificial flavoring and food coloring to achieve their orange color and pumpkin-like flavor.
Though sales of pumpkin-flavored products are projected to rise to a new record high this year, they will still be limited: most companies still plan on removing their pumpkiny products when spring comes. Sales for pumpkin products peak in September through November, Nielsen found.
The verdict: pumpkin spice is here, but not to stay. Fall is the prime time to nab your favorite flavor.
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