Obsession with millennials so pervades contemporary culture that even millennials — notorious for their self-regard — have grown weary of hearing about themselves. But while there was a time when non-millennials could at least dismiss their juniors’ fancies for Frisbees, breakfast cereal and nonstop Nickelodeon as kid stuff, that’s getting harder to do now that members of the generation born between 1981 and 1996 (as defined by the Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C.) are having kids of their own.
As millennials grow older, their palates are growing up with them — the upshot being that they “pose the most opportunity for adventurous flavor innovation,” said Shannon Cushen, director of marketing for Hampstead, Md.-based Fuchs North America. “They’re seeking new and innovative flavors, and they’re the main drivers behind a lot of the trends we’re seeing. They influence other generations, both younger and older, when it comes to food, so everyone’s focusing on what millennials want to eat.”