Magazine: Small bites and big bites

Snacks constitute one of the fastest-developing segments in the food industry. The pace of life we live today is so fast that we have meals at different times than in the past, and often we are even forced to skip meals. This means that people are left hungry and snacks seem to be a good idea to give their body the energy it needs. Research has found that 62 percent of US consumers think healthy snacks are perfect for substituting proper meals. This proportion is 43 percent in Poland, 37 percent in the United Kingdom and 35 percent in Germany. Since many consumers are now very conscious about what they eat, people pay increased attention to the snacks they have.

Innovation work by food companies is going in the direction of convenience and healthy snacks. There are functional snacks that consumers really like, because they can think that eating them isn’t only pleasant but also has health benefits. Modern consumers want snacks that are made without additives, and they expect them to be low-calorie and low-salt. At the same time demand is increasing for snacks with higher fibre and protein content.

Mora and more people are suffering from some kind of food intolerance. Snack manufacturers must also keep this in mind when developing new products. There is also a premiumisation trend going on in the snack segment, manufacturers are launching exciting new products, snacks made from top-quality ingredients and products made manually. Some of the snacks offer a really complex taste or have been inspired by various exotic cuisines. Experts say Generation Y and Z consumers are the most receptive to innovations.

As vegetarianism is conquering the world, the issue of sustainability is also taking centre stage. In the world of snacks much more new brands and product types are created for those who say no to meat than for meat eating consumers. Not only vegetables are popular product ingredients, but also plant-based proteins. The healthy versions of vegetable snacks aren’t fried in oil but baked in the oven. What is more, cannabis component CBD can soon also become an ingredient of innovative snack products.

Marketing managers are also trying to profit from the current snack boom. Mushroom-based US snack PigOut looks like bacon, but its fat and salt content is four times less than bacon’s. Vegan Rob’s makes puffed Brussels sprouts, spinach and cauliflower.

Noisy Nut has developed nut snacks especially for various beer types, e.g. chilli-lime for IPA and bacon for Porter.

Country Archer beef jerky is special because of the added fruit flavours.