To snack or not to snack—it’s hardly a question. People routinely use snack foods to treat themselves, relieve stress and satisfy cravings. In the United States, for example, 60% of snack consumers say they buy salty snacks as a treata. Much opportunity still exists within the category, with traditional mealtimes evolving along with consumers’ routines. In fact, 60% of global consumers who skip meals say that they regularly substitute such occasions with a snackb. As people snack more, larger consumer behavioral shifts are impacting the snacking space, including flavor exploration, and proactively supporting their own wellness, as well as the planet’s. Snack brands that can crack the code on delivering each of these attributes will have great growth potential, and flavor innovation is key to getting there.
To snack or not to snack—it’s hardly a question. People routinely use snack foods to treat themselves, relieve stress and satisfy cravings. In the United States, for example, 60% of snack consumers say they buy salty snacks as a treata. Much opportunity still exists within the category, with traditional mealtimes evolving along with consumers’ routines. In fact, 60% of global consumers who skip meals say that they regularly substitute such occasions with a snackb. As people snack more, larger consumer behavioral shifts are impacting the snacking space, including flavor exploration, and proactively supporting their own wellness, as well as the planet’s. Snack brands that can crack the code on delivering each of these attributes will have great growth potential, and flavor innovation is key to getting there.
Reinventing Classic Snacks
With snacking on the rise, this is the perfect time for flavorists to flex their creative muscles. Consumers not only look to their favorite snack offerings, but they’re also eager to experiment when they see something new. Indeed, 43% of U.S. adults who eat chips are motivated to try new varieties if they have unique flavors. Snacks enable trial and error as a low-risk way for shoppers to sample new flavors without committing to an entire meal.
Limited-edition flavors add flair to traditional formats like chips, popcorn, pretzels and snack mixes. Think glazed donut kettle corn, beer-battered potato chips and jalapeño cheddar crackers. Also popping up in the snacking aisle are co-branded offerings that put a novel spin on recognizable flavors, such as a sweet-savory crunch mix with candy bar bites.
Global flavors provide another way to stand out on retail shelves. For example, fried pita chips can call to mind fattoush, a Middle Eastern salad made with seasonal vegetables, while puffed snacks may be inspired by shakshuka, a Northwest African dish of poached eggs in a tomato sauce with peppers and spices. Asian flavors are also trending, from salted umami popcorn to spicy squid potato crisps. On the sweeter side, a tropical blend of pineapple, coconut and finger lime flavors bring an island feel to tortilla chips.
Footnotes:
astore.mintel.com/report/a-year-of-innovation-in-salty-snacks-fruit-mixes-2021
bfmcggurus.com/webinar-top-ten-trends-2022/ cwww.hartman-group.com/reports/1266620322/snacking-2020-emerging-evolving-and-disrupted
For the full article, please check out the Perfumer & Flavorist+ September 2022 issue.
