IBIE, special edition & show preview -- 2013 - (Page 100)

NEW PRODUCT TRENDS: SNACKS ers have turned to traditional ways of fortifying products as well as innovative formulations and ingredients to spotlight nutrition. Bakers have shifted from subtracting negative attributes in favor of adding or promoting the positive nutrition in snacks. “Many people are seeking positive nutrition from their snacks, particularly protein and fiber,” Mr. Penegor explained. Extra fiber and protein are high on the list of desirable attributes in snack food. Organic, natural or healthful ingredients are also on these consumers’ radar. “Consumer interest is only increasing around health and fitness, organic ingredients and essential nutrients such as whole grain, fiber and protein,” said Michelle Ferguson, executive vice-presi- Mintel found that 65% of respondents to a snack survey said they were interested in healthy snacks. dent of marketing, Clif Bar & Co., Emeryville, CA. “Products that meet the needs of today’s consumers will continue to drive growth in their categories.” Bakers use this trend to formulate products from the ground up with health-halo ingredients such as nuts, dried fruit, dark chocolate and, of course, whole grains. Whole grains are a popular way for bakers to bring a perception of health to their products because they work well in many baked products that use refined wheat. The sheer variety of whole grains also allows plenty of room for creativity for bakers and snack producers. FritoLay this year launched Smartfood Selects, a line of popped chips, 100 / SPECIAL EDITION / IBIE 2013 popcorn and puffed corn. Some of these products have the Whole Grain Stamp for products carrying at least 8 g whole grains. Mondelēz International, Deerfield, IL, expanded its Triscuit line with a number of Brown Rice offerings. The items contain 100% whole grain brown rice and wheat as well as some less conventional ingredients such as beans and sweet potatoes. Going beyond the potato to other ingredient bases such as beans and sweet potatoes has picked up speed among snack producers hoping to gain a leg-up on healthy snacks. “There’s a lot of movement toward the veggie snacks, which kind of points toward the mega trend right now of consumers seeking the snacks with benefits,” said Dan McGrady, vice-president of technical services, Wyandot, Inc., Marion, OH. Vegetable powders provide those nutritional benefits consumers look for. Beyond the popular sweet potatoes and beans, Mr. McGrady has seen a variety of vegetables such as carrots and kale used in snacks. These bases can not only provide nutrition but also a unique flavor profile. Inventure Foods introduced a product made with adzuki bean, an Asian bean fairly unknown in the US, which brings a little excitement. The company looked beyond the snack aisle for inspiration. After seeing the success of hummus, it developed a hummus-based snack from chickpea flour. Crossing over works both ways, however, and just as snack producers look for inspiration throughout the supermarket, brands outside the snack aisle are starting to invade. Outgrowing the category As food companies dominate their current categories, they must look at other areas in which their brands can succeed. These invasions have shaken up categories and supermar- ket shelves in the past few years. Just as Mondelēz International took its Oreo brand into snack bars, frozen pies and ice cream, Pepperidge Farm is expanding beyond cookies. The company turned its classic cookies into larger desserts with Milano and Chocolate Chunk frozen cakes. Kellogg’s Keebler brand brings breakfast to snacking with Cinnamon Roll cookies. These soft swirl cookies feature Cinnabon cinnamon and cream cheese-flavored icing. The brand even encourages consumers to heat them up for a more authentic cinnamon roll experience, making this typically messy breakfast item a portable snack. This year, Green Giant, the Minneapolis-based General Mills brand known for frozen, fresh and canned vegetables, made the leap to the snack categories with the launch of its Veggie Snack Chips line. “We saw an opportunity to further grow the segment by offering mainstream tasty veggie snacks made by one of the most trusted vegetable brands,” said Michelle Barbeau, marketing manager, Green Giant Snacks. The line currently includes two varieties — Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chip in Zesty Cheddar and Multigrain Sweet Potato Chip in Sea Salt. Trying to stand out to shoppers, bakers and snack producers have upped the ante when it comes to new product development. Creative flavors attract curious consumers. Reformulating using ingredients with a healthy halo fills the gap in a market where people are becoming more aware of their diets. While these new concerns and competition from other categories can be daunting, these trends toward exciting new flavors and healthier ingredients can mean plenty of creative space for product developers to reinvent the snacking occasion. •

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IBIE, special edition & show preview -- 2013

IBIE, special edition & show preview -- 2013
Table of Contents
IBIE Perspective - Amid challenges, opportunities persist
State of the Industry - Dizzying changes among baking’s leaders
A changing of the guard
Making Baking History - Progress on Parade
Capital Spending Survey - Making the safe bet
Survey reaches wide sample
IBIE Tech - Going Mobile
ABA Perspectives - Big changes since IBIE 2010
ABA: On the Front Lines
Keep on track with FTRAC
Let's Keep on Truckin'
An Ounce of Prevention
BEMA Initiatives - Collaborative Solutions
Critical Issue: FSMA - Predict & Prevent
Court orders FDA to step up its efforts
Food Safety: ANSI/ASB/Z50.2
Equipment Advances - Clean and Simple
Formulating R&D - Brave New World
Intel about ingredient trends
Critical Issue: Commodity Prices - Long and Winding Road
Ingredients: Creating Simple Labels - Simple Options
Critical Issue: Sodium Reduction - How Low Can You Go?
Ingredients: Ancient Grains - What's Old is New Again
New Product Trends: Baked Foods - Change Afoot
New Product Trends: Snacks - Reinventing Snack Time
Special Section: Bake
The Next Cupcake?
Ingredient Transparency
Food trucks on the move
New Tech Tools
IBIE 2013: A World of Possibilities
Ready to Launch
Pizza Popularity
Revel in Vegas
2013 Exhibitor List
Ad Index

IBIE, special edition & show preview -- 2013