May 21, 2014 - Blogs
It’s a given that Americans love their sweets and snacks. According to the National Confectioner’s Association, confectionery retail sales in the United States are expected to reach $34.5 billion in 2014, while total sweet and savory snacks, including chips, cookies, snack bars and nuts, will ring up nearly $42 billion.
Thousands of new confectionery and snack foods debuted this week during the 2014 Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago that featured the hottest new products and innovations from 650 companies. Broader food industry trends, including ancient grains, power foods, herbs and spices, and a resurgence of classic flavors like peanut butter and coconut abound in the candy and snack industries this year.
“This year we see an interesting mix of new products that push flavor boundaries and introduce innovative ingredients, alongside new products that have returned to classic taste profiles and comforting ingredients," said Alison Bodor, executive vice president of the National Confectioners Association, which produces the Sweets & Snacks Expo.
Based on products submitted for NCA’s Most Innovative New Product Awards, the top candy and snack trends for the upcoming year include:
Seeds, Grains and Power Foods
From quinoa to kale and from chia to chai, the candy and snack categories are no exceptions when it comes to the influence of the ancient grains, seeds and super food movements. According to IRI Worldwide, 53 percent of consumers try to eat foods that help prevent or manage health challenges and 45 percent seek snacks that offer benefits beyond basic nutrition. New products boast ingredients such as pumpkin seeds, chick peas, pomegranate, seaweed, sesame, parsnips and peabutter (a spread made from brown peas).
Comeback Kids
Peabutter might be a radical new concept for most Americans, but they are sure to be better acquainted with its distant cousin, peanut butter, which is popping up alongside other beloved ingredients like bacon, marshmallow fluff and banana. Coconut is also experiencing resurgence in popularity with entries into NCA’s Most Innovative New Product Awards in the sweet, salty, savory, chocolate and gourmet categories. Other comeback kids include almonds, cashews and chocolate with hazelnuts, the latter of which grew an impressive 16 percent in sales in 2013. Caramels are also making a comeback on their own and as inclusions in other products.
Herbs and Spices
As taste palates and demographics continue to shift, food manufacturers are increasingly adding more flavorful and exotic herbs and spices to a variety of products, including candy and snacks. Last year’s unexpected Sriracha shortage didn’t impact the industry as snack makers continue to experiment with it this year. Tabasco also is popping up in a variety of products, often paired with chocolate. Other trending herbs and spices include ginger, rosemary, wasabi, sage, sea salt and cracked pepper.
Deliciously Decadent
Truffle oil, imported salts and browned butter add taste and texture to a wide variety of decadent candy and snacks that are trending. Indulgent categories like premium chocolates, chocolate-covered salty snacks, bakery snacks, and dried meats and fruits have been on the rise for a few years, fueled in large part by the innovation snack makers have applied to new product launches.
Have Your Cake and Chocolate, Too
Also trending this year are dessert-inspired products. From whoopie pie to banana crème pie, candy and snack makers found inspiration from the dessert course. For those who prefer to drink their desserts, new product launches range from beer-themed chocolate and chewy candies to cherry cola, macchiato and crème de menthe flavored treats.
The snack market is growing as consumers of all ages turn to snack foods for convenience. Find the answers to questions like: when do consumers snack most (day time/late night), and what traditional snack do consumers prefer. Download the Infographic: Snacking from Food Product Design’s FoodTech Toolbox to learn more about the latest snacking trends.
While not a trend identified at the Sweets & Snack Expo, FPD’s Editor Lynn A. Kuntz ran across something really cool in holographic chocolate. Check out The Food Science Blog “Seeing the Light: Holographic Chocolate" to learn how food science and physics came together to make hologram chocolates out of molding technology and the properties of light.
It’s a given that Americans love their sweets and snacks. According to the National Confectioner’s Association, confectionery retail sales in the United States are expected to reach $34.5 billion in 2014, while total sweet and savory snacks, including chips, cookies, snack bars and nuts, will ring up nearly $42 billion.
Thousands of new confectionery and snack foods debuted this week during the 2014 Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago that featured the hottest new products and innovations from 650 companies. Broader food industry trends, including ancient grains, power foods, herbs and spices, and a resurgence of classic flavors like peanut butter and coconut abound in the candy and snack industries this year.
“This year we see an interesting mix of new products that push flavor boundaries and introduce innovative ingredients, alongside new products that have returned to classic taste profiles and comforting ingredients," said Alison Bodor, executive vice president of the National Confectioners Association, which produces the Sweets & Snacks Expo.
Based on products submitted for NCA’s Most Innovative New Product Awards, the top candy and snack trends for the upcoming year include:
Seeds, Grains and Power Foods
From quinoa to kale and from chia to chai, the candy and snack categories are no exceptions when it comes to the influence of the ancient grains, seeds and super food movements. According to IRI Worldwide, 53 percent of consumers try to eat foods that help prevent or manage health challenges and 45 percent seek snacks that offer benefits beyond basic nutrition. New products boast ingredients such as pumpkin seeds, chick peas, pomegranate, seaweed, sesame, parsnips and peabutter (a spread made from brown peas).
Comeback Kids
Peabutter might be a radical new concept for most Americans, but they are sure to be better acquainted with its distant cousin, peanut butter, which is popping up alongside other beloved ingredients like bacon, marshmallow fluff and banana. Coconut is also experiencing resurgence in popularity with entries into NCA’s Most Innovative New Product Awards in the sweet, salty, savory, chocolate and gourmet categories. Other comeback kids include almonds, cashews and chocolate with hazelnuts, the latter of which grew an impressive 16 percent in sales in 2013. Caramels are also making a comeback on their own and as inclusions in other products.
Herbs and Spices
As taste palates and demographics continue to shift, food manufacturers are increasingly adding more flavorful and exotic herbs and spices to a variety of products, including candy and snacks. Last year’s unexpected Sriracha shortage didn’t impact the industry as snack makers continue to experiment with it this year. Tabasco also is popping up in a variety of products, often paired with chocolate. Other trending herbs and spices include ginger, rosemary, wasabi, sage, sea salt and cracked pepper.
Deliciously Decadent
Truffle oil, imported salts and browned butter add taste and texture to a wide variety of decadent candy and snacks that are trending. Indulgent categories like premium chocolates, chocolate-covered salty snacks, bakery snacks, and dried meats and fruits have been on the rise for a few years, fueled in large part by the innovation snack makers have applied to new product launches.
Have Your Cake and Chocolate, Too
Also trending this year are dessert-inspired products. From whoopie pie to banana crème pie, candy and snack makers found inspiration from the dessert course. For those who prefer to drink their desserts, new product launches range from beer-themed chocolate and chewy candies to cherry cola, macchiato and crème de menthe flavored treats.
The snack market is growing as consumers of all ages turn to snack foods for convenience. Find the answers to questions like: when do consumers snack most (day time/late night), and what traditional snack do consumers prefer. Download the Infographic: Snacking from Food Product Design’s FoodTech Toolbox to learn more about the latest snacking trends.
While not a trend identified at the Sweets & Snack Expo, FPD’s Editor Lynn A. Kuntz ran across something really cool in holographic chocolate. Check out The Food Science Blog “Seeing the Light: Holographic Chocolate" to learn how food science and physics came together to make hologram chocolates out of molding technology and the properties of light.
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