Exploring local flavors for the food industry

Americans are becoming increasingly interested in the food that's prepared in their own neighborhood - and as their palates become more sophisticated, flavor companies are responding with authentically local flavors.

At the IFT expo in Chicago, Kathi Sparks, a flavorist with Wild Flavors, told FoodNavigator-USA.com that the company's flavorists are taking traditionally local foods to the mainstream.

Some of the flavors that Wild has created include Chicago hotdog, southern barbecue, heirloom tomatoes, Chicago-style pizza, and New Orleans gumbo.

And Sparks is optimistic that the trend will continue as people all over the country embrace their local farmers' markets, and parents introduce more adventurous flavors to their children from a younger age.