Snac World - February 2018 - 25

INDU STRY TRENDS

SNACKING
all year long

Consumers don't need a resolution
to change their snacking choices.

by Joanie Spencer

Sure, people alwa
alway
always start off a new year promising to
do more, eat less a
and so on. But when it comes to
their food choices, consumers are constantly changpreferences are often driven by their
ing, and their prefe
schedules
lifestyles, schedu
schedule and what they perceive to be best
for them ... no resolution necessary.
In fact, historical data shows that people aren't
waiting for the ball to drop in Times Square before
rethinking their choices; the mindset is evolving all year
long, especially in terms of food and fitness. According
to a 2017 study from IRI, 14.2% of participants reported consuming five or more snacks per day compared
with 11.5% the year before, perhaps a testament to
how active consumers have become.
Just look at what SPINS identified as the segment's
top categories: energy bars and gels, jerky and other
meat snacks, as well as nuts and seeds and dried
fruits and vegetables.

©nolonely - stock.adobe.com

PROTEIN REVOLUTION
It's been all about the protein in recent years, and
snacks provide the ideal vehicle to deliver on consumers' need for protein as a source of nutrition
and increased satiety as they eat smaller meals
throughout the day. In December, SPINS looked
back on its 2017 predictions to see how they fared
over the course of the year.
Cashews took center stage of the protein extravaganza last year; sales data for the nut indicated
3.0% growth rate - $418.2 billion in cross-channel
sales - outpaced the overall nut category, which
SNAXPO OFFICIAL SHOW ISSUE

experienced only 0.6% change last year, according
to SPINS data, powered by IRI, for the 52 weeks
ending Oct. 28, 2017.
In addition to satiety, cashews' natural skins also
provide antioxidant benefits, prompting some snack
mix producers such as Karma Nuts, Dublin, CA, to
use cashews with the skin on in their products.
As consumers gravitate toward plant-based
proteins, cashews also cropped up in portable
yogurts such as Cashewgurts from Miyoko's
Kitchen, Petaluma, CA, according to the SPINS
2017 Trends Roundup.
SPINS also called out the term "reducetarian" -
a movement to lower or eliminate meat, egg and
dairy intake - as a hot issue. With meat snacks
being a popular food for its protein content, SPINS
noted that plant versions of snacks such as jerky
are emerging in the market with products like dried
fruit jerky competing in the space.
The firm also identified wellness bars and gels
as a prime target for incorporating plant-based
proteins into product development. In this category,
multi-source plant protein grew more than 136% in
the past year, according to SPINS and IRI data as
of the 52 weeks ending Nov. 5, 2017.
But it's not just plants getting into the protein
game. Once considered on the fringe, products
made with insect-based protein are stepping into
the spotlight. In fact, insect snacks are creeping
into major sports arenas across the country, including cricket-based products in the Atlanta Hawks'

In the era of portable
eating and snacks as
meals, bars are one of
the top snack items.

2018 SNAC WORLD

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Snac World - February 2018