Seasoning and Dressing Manufacturers NAICS 311941, 311942

Dec 23, 2025 - 2026 Flavor of the Year

• Spice giant and culinary trends forecaster McCormick Co. has named Black Currant 2026’s flavor of the year, adding that herbal flavors are emerging as the next big trend in food. In its 2026 Flavor Forecast, McCormick says black currant’s tart and sweet taste speaks to fast-developing consumer trends, including the demand for ingredients that are opulent and exotic, yet still simple and affordable. Black currant berries are native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia and are commonly used in jams and syrups, fitting in with consumer appetite for sauces and dressings. The sweet, tart, and rich berries are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, while meeting growing consumer demand for functional ingredients, according to McCormick.
• Tariffs on exports from India and other spice producing countries imposed by the Trump administration are poised to reshape the global spice trade, with spices and seasonings from India becoming less attractive in the US market compared to other origins like Vietnam and Indonesia, exporters told the Hindu Buinessline. In 2024, the US imported more than $410 million in spices from India, according to the USDA, and the US is the second largest market for Indian spices. Several essential spices, including cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg and cloves, require tropical climates and, therefore, cannot be grown in the US on a large enough scale to meet demand, the executive director of the American Spice Trade Association, Laura Shumow, said in a statement. US consumers, restaurants, and food manufacturers are likely to face high prices for imported spices from India – and other countries slapped with tariffs – or supply constraints as importers cut back.

• Spice and flavorings giant McCormick is speeding up efforts to remove artificial food dyes from its products as efforts to eliminate synthetic dyes from the US food supply gain momentum, Food Dive reports. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called for the removal of eight artificial dyes from the US food supply. The dyes, found in candy, soft drinks, and some salad dressings, lemon‑pepper seasoning, and marinades, are used to offset color loss due to exposure to light, temperature extremes as well as to provide color to colorless and "fun" foods, according to the Food and Drug Administration. In a recent earnings call, McCormick’s CEO said the company has been working for some time to reformulate its products to remove artificial colorants and to reduce sodium levels. McCormick says it's working with restaurants and food manufacturers that are under pressure to eliminate artificial dyes.
• Producer prices for seasoning and dressing manufacturers hit another new high in September, up 1.7% compared to a year ago, after rising 1.5% in the previous September-versus-September annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Meanwhile, retail prices for spices, seasonings, condiments, and sauces increased 1.2% year over year in September but fell 1.1% versus August, per the Labor Department’s Consumer Price Index for September 2025. Employment by the industry was flat YoY in August, while average wages at food manufacturers rose 3.1% YoY in September to a new high of $24.27 per hour, BLS data show.