In this month's look at regional trends from across the globe, we travel to Latin America and discover a region in the midst of a boom in consumer products and with a penchant for goods from the bakery

Latin America is currently at the centre of an explosion in consumer products, with more than 30,000 hitting the continent’s shelves in the past year, according to Mintel’s Global New Products Database.

Yet while last month’s analysis of Japan revealed that country’s love of cosmetics, Latin American tastes are more workaday, with bakery products topping the list of new category launches.

For pack types, flexibles have dominated in terms of new product numbers since 2003 and account for almost a third of all new packs launched in the region in the last year, according to the database. The prevalence of bottles may not be so surprising, but it is interesting to note that cartons have the upper hand over cans – again, a trend that has persisted for several years.

Top 10 new product types (number of products)
Bakery 2,961
Haircare 2,331
Skincare 2,254
Non-alcoholic beverages 2,236
Sauces and seasonings 2,133
Dairy 1,497
Soap and bath products 1,224
Snacks 1,213
Sugar and gum confectionery 1,154
Processed fish, meat and egg products 1,117

Top 10 packaging types (number of variants)        
Flexible 11,260
Bottle 7,703
Carton 2,431
Jar 1,919
Tube 1,903
Can 1,421
Tub 1,169
Tray 426
Case 310
Blister pack 234

Source: Mintel GNPD, products launched in 12 months to September 2009

New packs
1 La Cava del Mayoral tequila This 750ml bottle from Mexico is, perhaps surprisingly, plastic - presumably PET. It features a stopper and has, we think, a rather fun shape.

2 Gabi Galletas Finas ABC Galletas These kids' cookies, also from Mexico, come in a newly designed carton containing 170g of product. The packaging vaunts its recyclability on the side panel.

3 Delisoy Kids soya dessert This chocolate-flavoured soy dessert for children from Brazil features a PP tub with a foil seal in the neck and a thermoformed cap. Two tubs are sold together in a litho-printed board folder.

4 Hair Advance Lacio Extremo Haircare creams are often sold in garish colours and this low-cost Argentinian combing cream is no exception. The plastic 300ml bottle features a flip-top cap.

5 Patagonian Life dulce de leche Dulce de leche - a kind of toffee spread - is a breakfast staple in Argentina and this new pack plays on the country's Patagonian heritage. The 450g jar is sold inside a printed carton.

6 GuayabaYá mix This guava-flavoured dried drink mix from Colombia is sold in a sachet containing 30g of product. Even if the packaging is simple, the colourful design achieves strong stand-out.

Mintel GNPD is a web-based database capturing new product and packaging data from around the world. Information on packaging for each product includes photography, data on material, format, closure, label, decorative processes, inserts, production methods, style details and security aspects. GNPD also offers editorial features on packaging trends. Visit www.gnpd.com.