By Mark Seavy  

At a time when so much is uncertain, consumers are seeking comfort in food. 

What qualifies as comfort food varies across generations and regions, but one universal quality is that comfort foods trigger memories of simpler times. To stand out on shelves and connect with consumers, however, manufacturers are increasingly focused on licensing and collaborations. 

The so-called “newstalgia” trend, which sees new twists being applied to classic products, is underscored by 53% of U.S. consumers polled by 210 Analytics reporting they are very interested in recipes for comfort meals that are defined as “classic” offerings. Another 43% of consumers said they were somewhat interested. And while those findings held steady across demographics, how comfort is defined varies. 

For Baby Boomers, comfort can be a casserole or meatloaf and, for 65% of them, it triggers childhood memories. This demo is also less interested in new brands and foods. On the other hand, Gen Z (52%) and Millennials (49%) seek out new flavors, textures, and cuisines that are anything but routine. However, these adventurous eating experiences are often grounded in comfort food staples like macaroni and cheese. 

Ice cream maker Van Leeuwen, for example, launched a Kraft Mac & Cheese flavor, while food service GoPuff recently included the dish in the pizzas it delivered. The Hershey Co., meanwhile, combined its Reese’s brand with Mondelez International’s Oreos to create a limited edition Reese’s Oreo Cup that mixed cookie crumbs with chocolate and became a standard in its product line this year.   

Then there is the Kayco Kosher Foods’ kosher brand Manischewitz, which has undergone a recent rebranding and extended into frozen foods (babka bread and rugelach pastry). Most recently, seven varieties of soups were introduced, all playing on a brand best known for its Matzo unleavened flat brand and wine. The Manischewitz brand was first licensed to the Canandaigua Wine Co. in 1987 and was more recently licensed to E. & J. Gallo Winery, which acquired it along with 30 other wine and spirits brands in 2021 from Constellation Brands. 

“The pendulum of trends swings back and forth, and some foods became so scientific that they were separated from their soul,” said Shani Seidman, Chief Marketing Officer at Kayco, which had a launch event for its soups last week at a New York gallery bedecked with 14 brand renderings from three artists for a “Soup” exhibit that runs through February 10. “People are coming back to their roots a lot more and there is a sense of belonging that people want to have and food represents that.” 

However, it’s important to understand the different ways consumers are approaching comfort food, executives said at the recent International Sweets and Snacks Fair (ISM) in Cologne, Germany.  

While North American consumers increasingly seek brands that evoke their childhoods, consumers in Europe and LATAM are less enamored with the trend, Beatrice Quarella, Account Manager at Nova Market Insights, said during a presentation at the conference. 

“In North America, consumers are looking for traditional products that relate to their childhood period, but if you go to Latin America or Europe they talk more about their grandmothers’ recipes,” Quarella said. “It is more that they want the traditional recipe but with a modern taste. So, it combines flavors, tastes, and textures that answer that desire.” 

Indeed, there were comfort- and nostalgia-focused brands a plenty at the ISM conference. Jacobsens of Denmark, for example, introduced a version of its own butter cookie brand under license with Peanuts Worldwide. Red Sakura Food Co., meanwhile, fielded cookie mixes inspired by Care Bears and Hello Kitty. And Spain’s Tasty & Unique had mini cookies with brands like Paw Patrol and The Grinch as well as chocolate-strawberry “Upside Down” Stranger Things and “Netflix & Crunch” (peanut butter vanilla with Reese’s) varieties. 

“With all of these, you are relying on parents reintroducing the brand to their children because an anniversary doesn’t mean that much anymore,” a licensing executive said. “An anniversary might trigger something, but it is the memories that are important. People aren’t going to buy clothes for their children because a brand is 100 years old.”