Snack World - May 2014 - (Page 29)

The M(other) Lode of Invention T hey're not exactly a chip off the old block or even a chip that's made with potatoes or tortillas, for that matter. For decades, they have been simply classified as "other snacks," a general catch-all category for any product that didn't fit neatly into the conventional salted snack world. In recent years, however, as new product innovation swelled in the industry, "other" simply doesn't do justice to defining the myriad, multi-textured snacks never existing in the good ole days. Tom Howe, president of Baptista's Bakery, Franklin, WI, calls them "nouveau snacks." In some cases, he observed, they may be hybrids - those products such as popcorn chips or snack crackers - that compete for the share of consumers' stomachs in a number of categories. When asked if a pretzel crisp is a pretzel, a chip or a cracker, Mr. Howe simply responded, "Yes." Other snacks, in other words, have become "all of the above." "These are the innovative product concepts that are driving sales in the broader snack category," Mr. Howe explained. "They're the products that are not showing up in conventional snack categories." Joe Papiri, vicepresident of sales and marketing, Snak King, referred to them as "new age snacks." The City of Industry, CAbased manufacturer is rolling out a purple corn PopGrains Snack Squares under The Whole Earth brand. The co-extruded popped crisps contain only organic purple corn, sea salt and expellerpressed vegetable oil. They are positioned as a more healthful chip with purple corn that's loaded with anthocyanins. The product comes with a clean label and jump on the non-GMO bandwagon. Likewise, Herr Foods sells Popped Chips with Sea Salt and Tangy BBQ Popped Chips that are lower in fat than other conventional snacks, but that's only one small selling point for the product. "What it uniquely offers is a texture that is more substantial, and it gives you the opportunity to incorporate a lot of ingredient basics, black beans and potatoes, to kale-based popped snacks," said Daryl Thomas, senior vice-president of sales and marketing for the Nottingham, PA, company. In many cases, these popped and other snacks now come with ancient grains, beans, peas, beets, seaweed and a host of other vegetables that provide a healthier profile, including vitamins, fiber and protein. Utz Quality Foods, Hanover, PA, Gluten-Free Rice Crisps come in Sea Salt, Sweet Chili, Garden Salsa and Sweet Potato flavors and contain whole grain brown rice, sesame seeds, soluble fiber and even dehydrated vegetables in some cases. Many "other snacks" are created using extrusion, double extrusion and a combination of sheeters and other forms of proprietary technology, processes and ingredients to create a mother lode of new sales opportunities for snack producers. And yes, many of these products compete in a plethora of categories. "The lines are blurring," Mr. Thomas noted. "Have we crossed over into a new category? I think everyone has." Other snacks also play to the burgeoning nation www.sfa.org May 2014 Snack World 29 http://www.sfa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Snack World - May 2014

Snack World - May 2014