Culinology - June 2015 - (Page 48)

PETITS fours The state of snacking Savory snacks are largely responsible for growth in the snack market, according to the State of the Industry report, presented by Jared Koerten, senior analyst, Euromonitor International. With 3% sales growth from 2008-14, savory snacks represented the third-fastest growing category in the snack industry, sitting behind bars and yogurt. Much of this growth may be explained by consumers' demand for portable food and snacks as a meal replacement. This may be seen in the decline in sales of traditional breakfast foods such as cereal and the rise in sales of bars and yogurt, as reported by Euromonitor. This meal replacement idea, however, comes with a catch. "If we're going to snack in place of meals, consumers want something that will keep them full, such as high-protein snacks, yogurt, nuts and meat snacks," Mr. Koerten said. When breaking down snack growth by nutritional attributes, protein outpaced all others with an 8% increase. The interest in better-for-you snacks as a meal replacement also has consumers attempting to educate themselves on what is healthy. "Consumers want information about food, but they're turning to 'Dr. Google' to get it," said Phil Lempert, Supermarket Guru, continuing on to say that the misinformed consumer is a dangerous player in the food industry. Mr. Lempert urged snack producers to clean up their labels and front-of-package claims by making them less sensational and more practical. He also urged snack makers to keep an eye on popular applications, like that of craft beer. People want artisan-like foods that stand for something, whether that be taste, quality, health or something unique, he said. Changing palates are also challenging the market and upping the ante in snack food flavors. Mr. Lempert pointed to smoked as the next big thing. Mr. Koerten pointed to consumers' interest in spicy and sweet and savory crossovers as places where snack producers could innovate. As the food industry settles into a new normal, Mr. Lempert pointed out three ways snack producers can gain traction with consumers: catering to health and wellness, creating "wow" experience and celebrating food. "Every package of snack food you sell should be a celebration," he said. Panera publishes 'no no list' of ingredients it will not use Panera Bread is the latest company to jump on the clean label bandwagon. The company announced in early May the publication of its "No No List" of ingredients that will not be used to formulate its products. "We are not scientists," said Ron Shaich, founder and chief executive officer. "We are people who know and love food, and who believe that the journey to better food starts with simpler ingredients. And to turn that belief into meaningful action, we consulted third-party scientists and experts to compile a list of common artificial additives that we are going to do without. "Simplifying our pantry is essential to our vision, but it is not an end point. 48 | Culinology | JUNE 2015 We want to be an ally for wellness for the millions of guests we serve each week." Some ingredients on the chain's No No List include ace- sulfame K, autolyzed yeast extract, high-fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, microparticulated whey protein concentrate and others. The company's goal is to remove the listed ingredients from the formulations by the end of 2016. "Last year we unveiled our Food Policy to hold ourselves accountable to long held values and set the future vision for our menu," Mr. Shaich said. "The No No List is the latest step on our journey to clean food and a transparent menu." The company estimated 85% of the menu items reformulated without the ingredients on its list are in test or have been rolled out nationally. Reworked items will continue to be introduced in advance of the 2016 deadline, according to the company.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Culinology - June 2015

Culinology - June 2015
Table of Contents
President's Letter - The art and science of collaboration
Emerging Trends - Broth is hot: No bones about it
‘Veg-centric’ cuisine on the rise
Five things to know about millennials
Flavor Trends - Spicy Complications
NPD Group: Hot sauce is universal
Functional Foods - Functional Formulations
Cannabis: An herb with benefits
Member Profile - Blg Flavors, Bold Delivery
RCA Images
Industry Images
Petits Fours - Yogurt and beverages lead IRI’s New Product Pacesetters
The state of snacking
Panera publishes ‘no no list’ of ingredients it will not use
Ad Index

Culinology - June 2015