New vegetable snack targets healthy eaters

Food researchers in Italy have developed a new process for the formulation of vegetable-based snacks in a bid to bridge the gap between fast, on-the-go snacking and meeting consumer health concerns.

The team, from the Bari based Institute of the Science of Food Production
(ISPA), used typically Mediterranean ingredients such as peppers, onions,
tomatoes, aubergines and olive oil to produce crunchy, bite-size snacks. The
ISPA team's vegetable snacks are low calorie, free from sugar and cholesterol,
and contain no added salt. In addition, its makers claim the product boasts a
long shelf life at room temperature.
Healthy convenience snacks have been a recent area of innovation this year,
thanks to heightened concerns over climbing obesity levels throughout Europe.
Many snack makers are exploring alternatives to rejuvenate the image of
on-the-go options.