Page 2 - Monthly Archives: March 2026

The global spice and seasoning market is valued at $21.99 billion in 2026, growing at a CAGR of 5.12% towards $28 billion by 2031. For private label brands, the opportunity is even sharper: the private-label spice and seasoning segment alone is expanding at a 10.1% CAGR - outpacing national brands in both volume and innovation. In the sauce category, the picture is equally compelling, with global sauces, dressings and condiments projected to reach $252 billion by 2031.

If you're a retailer, food brand or foodservice operator considering private label, this is the moment. Here's what the data - and the palate - are telling us.

Trend 1: Swicy Is Here to Stay — And Evolving

Sweet plus spicy is no longer a novelty. It's the new baseline.

'Swicy' foods now appear on 10% of restaurant menus, with that share projected to grow by at least 9%. The sweet-heat combination has graduated from trend to staple - and in its second phase, it's becoming far more sophisticated. Consumers aren't simply reaching

Cottage cheese has recently become a popular base for quick, protein-rich dips and spreads. By briefly blending cottage cheese you get a creamy, smooth texture that pairs perfectly with herbs, spices and toppings. The result is a light dip full of flavor that can be on the table in just a few minutes.

In this article we show how you can easily create new flavors with three different worldly spice blends. A good spice blend instantly adds a lot of character to a dish, without needing extra salt, sugar or fat.

We combine whipped cottage cheese with three flavor profiles:

• Za’atar – fresh and herby with a Middle Eastern twist

• Cajun – smoky and mildly spicy

• Ras el Hanout – warm and aromatic with a subtle sweet touch

Perfect for a snack board, as a dip with vegetables or as a spread on toasted bread.

Whipped Cottage Cheese with Za’atar & Pistachio

Ingredients

• 200 g cottage cheese

• 1 tsp Natural Spices Za’atar spice mix

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp pistachio (coarsely chopped)

• pinch

Chili peppers add heat, warmth and character to dishes. From Mexican salsas to Asian curries and spicy sauces, they are indispensable in cuisines around the world. Yet their origin lies entirely in the warm regions of Central and South America.

All chili peppers belong to the genus Capsicum. After the discovery of the Americas, Spanish and Portuguese traders spread the peppers across Europe, Africa and Asia. Within just a few centuries, chili peppers became a staple ingredient in countless cuisines.

What exactly is a chili pepper?

There are approximately 30 species within the genus Capsicum. The most common species found in supermarkets is Capsicum annuum. This group includes bell peppers, jalapeños and cayenne peppers.

Botanically speaking, chili peppers are not vegetables but berries. The plant is officially considered an annual (the term annuum means “yearly”), but in warm climates without frost it can grow into a perennial shrub.

Why are chili peppers hot?

The heat of chili peppers

Preserving food products is a crucial part of product development in the food industry. Whether it concerns sauces, juices, jams, marinades or beverages, a well-designed preservation strategy is essential for both food safety and commercial shelf life.

For producers and private label projects, preservation is not only about preventing spoilage. It also involves regulatory compliance, clean label positioning, export requirements and cost efficiency.

In this article, we share the key principles for professionally preserving food products.

What is food preservation?

Food preservation means controlling or eliminating the factors that allow bacteria, yeasts and moulds to grow. Microorganisms require specific conditions to multiply. By influencing one or more of these factors, shelf life can be significantly extended.

The most important factors you can control are:

• pH level (acidity)

• Oxygen

• Temperature

• Water activity (Aw value)

• Preservatives

An effective preservation strategy usually combines

Sriracha has become a kitchen-cabinet classic in recent years. The combination of chili pepper, garlic and a mild acidity makes it a sauce that goes with everything — from stir-fries to bowls, from eggs to noodles. The only downside of the classic version? That generous dash of sugar that is almost always in it.

Sriracha Cha Cha fixes that. Our low calorie sriracha is sugar-free, fat-free and contains only 3 kcal per serving. The heat is definitely there — jalapeño peppers, garlic and a subtle acidity from vinegar provide a flavor profile that is familiar, but without the sugar bomb. Just a spicy sauce you can use every day.

What is Sriracha Cha Cha?

Sriracha Cha Cha is our interpretation of the classic sriracha: a sauce based on jalapeño peppers, garlic, vinegar and sea salt. No added sugars, no fat, but plenty of flavor. At 3 kcal per serving it is one of the lightest sauces in the Natural Zero line.

The sauce is versatile — suitable for both cold and hot use. As a dip, as a finishing

There are those moments when you just want mayo. On your sandwich, alongside your fries, through a salad or as the base of a dressing. Mayo is simply tasty — but classic mayonnaise is also packed with fat and calories. That makes it a sauce you prefer to use in moderation, even if you simply feel like it.

Meet Nice to Mayo. Our low calorie mayonnaise from the Natural Zero line: vegan, sugar-free and only 10 kcal per serving. Creamy and delicious, without having to think twice.

What is Nice to Mayo?

Nice to Mayo is the low calorie variant of classic mayo. While regular mayonnaise quickly amounts to 90–100 kcal per tablespoon — and contains around 70–75% fat — Nice to Mayo is only 10 kcal per 15 gram serving. That’s more than 85% fewer calories.

And yet it tastes like mayo. Creamy, mild, with that familiar full bite. We achieve this because at Natural Spices we work with a carefully developed recipe where we don’t compromise on taste. The end result: a sauce you just put on the table —

You know how it goes: you make a delicious meal, and then you reach for the sauce. Standard. Because sauce makes everything tastier. But with most ready-made options you suddenly add a portion of calories, sugar or fat — even though you didn't consciously choose that.

That’s exactly what we wanted to change. Natural Zero is our line of low calorie sauces: wide in flavors, low in calories and sugar, and simply tasty. No watery compromises, no artificial aftertaste. Just sauce, but more intelligently composed.

In this blog we explain everything: what Natural Zero is, how it works, who it’s suitable for, and which sauces are in the range. With links to each sauce, so you can find exactly what suits you.

What are low calorie sauces actually?

Low calorie sauces are sauces that have been deliberately made with less fat, less sugar, or both — without sacrificing taste. That sounds simpler than it is, because fat and sugar have traditionally been the 'carriers' of flavor in classic sauces.

With

Spice up the flavor of healthy products with the help of herbs and spices

Eating healthy starts with choosing the right products, for example from the Schijf van Vijf. But once you have chosen them, how do you season those products so that healthy eating becomes even easier for you? In this blog we give you the tips that ensure you can fully enjoy a healthy diet — because hey, that's important too. 

Give ‘boring’ vegetables a surprising twist

We’ll start with vegetables. Perhaps an obvious one, but vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber and are therefore good for your health. Yet eating vegetables is often labelled as ‘boring’. Luckily we have the solution, because did you know you can give them a surprising twist by using herbs and spices? Think, for example, of thyme, rosemary or savoury. Or try our spice mixes Habibi Veggie, Sirtaki Mix, Mamma Mia and Hurry Curry which make it possible to put the tastiest vegetables on the table in no time. Do you