Page 37 - FoodFocusThailand No.142_January 2018

SPECIAL FOCUS

There’s a lot of innovation in the popped chips market, too, he
added, “and I think they’ll be taking a lot of market share away from
deep fried potato chips.”
These products are made from a batter, rather than a potato, so
it’s easy to add flavors, Mr. Jorgensen noted. “Every brand’s portfolio
needs to have a range of traditional through more adventurous flavors.”
This is so standard flavors ensure sales and unusual flavors generate
excitement and help position the company as trend-forward, he
explained.
“The adventurous flavors are where brands can run around in
These have potential, according to Mr.Vierhile, though he admitted that
hopes of getting a homerun that will turn into a perennial favorite. It’s pouch packaging may not appeal to adults since it has a perception of
a relatively low risk way to innovate,” he continued. being used for baby food. “It will be interesting to see if product marketers
In alternative chips, vegetable protein is strong, appealing to vegans
and vegetarians especially. And according to the NPD Group, about can change that perception,” he said.
“I think we’re just seeing the beginning of drinkable snacks,” noted
half of adults said they’re trying to get more protein into their diets. Mr.Jorgensen. “I think we’ll see a lot of growth in them—the formats make
Saffron Road’s Bean Stalks include bean flour, green peas, red
pinto beans, white cannellini beans and potato starch, and are available them very flexible; they’re very convenient and portable. It fulfills all the
requirements and hits all the right buttons for the trends we’re seeing. And
in sea salt, cheddar or barbeque flavors. like popcorn, yogurt’s such a bland start that you can add just about anything
“With increasing concern over health issues like obesity and type
2 diabetes, pressure is growing on consumers to incorporate health to it. I predict that next up, we’ll see savory yogurt flavors, which is a more
traditional way of eating yogurt.”
and wellness concerns when making snack choices, which is helping
alternative snacks like those made from chickpeas gain traction,” • Bugging Out
explained Mr.Vierhile. An increasing population and dwindling food sources mean many
Another factor is that younger customers especially are more
interested in health. According to a 2016 Canadean survey, 57% of forecasters believe consumers will be eating more insects in the future. A
report out last year from Persistence Market Research predicted that the
consumers said health and well-being is important, but for consumers global edible insects market will expand at a CAGR of 6% between 2016
aged 25 to 34, that figure jumped to 65%. and 2024.
Chic-a-Peas sells Baked Crunchy Chickpeas in four flavors while
This trend is already visible in the marketplace with more products on
other offerings come from Sensible Portions (Veggie Chips and Veggie store shelves. Bitty Foods’ Chiridos air-puffed chips are made with lentil
Straws) and Peeled Snacks (Peas Please—organic puffed snacks flour and cricket flour, and Six Foods offers Chirps “eat what bugs you”
made with pea protein). Then there’s Veggie Harvest from SunChips, brand cricket chips in three flavors. However, buggy snacks aren’t going
a Frito Lay brand. These are made from dried yellow peas and claim to be topping the charts just yet.
to have 30% less fat than regular potato chips.
“There’s still a hurdle to get over … [but] if it helps consumers be healthy
they might accept it,” said Mr.Rost. “It might be generational—younger
• Drinkable Snacks consumers are more open to new flavors and types of food, so I wouldn’t
Convenience and portability are key elements of snacking today.
Some manufacturers are capitalizing on this trend with drinkable rule anything out, though transparency is important.”
“This is very interesting from an ingredient standpoint,” said Mr.Vierhile.
snacks. “You can use other types of protein—like pea protein—that don’t have the
Chobani has launched Drink Chobani and Dannon has launched
an Oikos beverage promoted as “protein on-the-go.” These are making baggage of insect protein.” Additionally, “there’s a big environmental case
to be made for insect protein,” he noted.
small ripples in the industry. According to Canadean, in the period of
2014 to 2015, per capita consumption of drinkable yogurt was up 7%. • More Trends to Chew On
This growth, the company said, is mostly coming from younger Meat snacks continue to grow at 3% annually, which exceeds bar
consumers. growth overall, but is down from the double-digit growth of the previous
There are several factors behind the popularity of these drinks,
according to Mr.Vierhile. They’re re-sealable; they’re low in sugar two to three years. Consumer demand for protein and savory products is
driving this. Companies are offering meat snacks in unusual flavors and
(about half that of a can of soda), and they’re high in protein. In 2015 different formats. Epic, for example, offers a meat trail mix in bison-chia-
a Canadean survey revealed that 20% of American consumers “always” bacon-raisin and pulled pork-pineapple flavors.
check nutritional labeling for protein content; 26% say the same about Consumers are also seeking fiber so grain-based bars remain popular.
sugar. Strong growth is coming from companies that are not in the top 100.
“Protein’s star is continuing to rise ... [so] the trend is bullish for
yogurt, especially drinkable yogurt, which also has strong potential as These smaller companies often have strong connections with Millennials,
who are also open to trying new products. Younger generations often aren’t
a portable snack,” Mr. Vierhile said. as trusting of larger corporations as their parents are, said Mr. Seifer. Plus,
Yogurt’s not the only thing consumers are drinking on the go—
squeezable fruit drinks are coming to the forefront. Companies in this sometimes Millennials just want to feel they’re supporting start-ups. Another
check mark for these companies: they’re usually U.S.-based, which appeals
category include GoGo squeeZ, which has yogurt and apple products, to many consumers.
and Munk Pack, which hit shelves in the spring of 2015. Munk Pack’s Products are also getting thinner and crispier, such as Mary’s Gone
oatmeal/fruit products are marketed as a cereal alternative, and the Crackers’ Thins line and Open Road Snacks Sinfully Thin popcorn. Even
company is quoting some gaudy growth numbers, citing 450% growth Wheat Thins, which have been on the market for decades, are now available
in conventional grocery. as Wheat Thins Even Thinner. They’re 14% thinner than the originals and
“Given the decline in boxed cereals, our thesis was
that busy consumers would increasingly reach for more a person could eat 22 rather than the former 16 for the same calorie count.
“With this, consumers are tricking themselves, but in a very clever way—not
convenient, yet healthy, products,” said Michelle replacing things, just slimming things down,” said Mr.Jorgensen.
Glienke, Co-founder of Munk Pack. The products,
she explained, are resonating with both adults and
kids, as well as athletes seeking quick nutrition.
เอกสารอ้างอิง/References
Nutraceuticalsworld

JAN 2018 FOOD FOCUS THAILAND 35