Tortilla chip manufacturers are using innovative shapes, zesty flavors and healthy ingredients to turn consumers’ everyday snacking occasions into mini fiestas.
Harris Interactive recently released the results of its 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend study, which analyzed the responses of more than 38,500 consumers on key measures of brand health for more than 1,500 lifestyle, product and service brands. When questioned about the brands they are likely to reach for when craving a salty snack, respondents chose Lay’s Potato Chips—the top-ranked salty snack for the past eight years—followed by two other Frito-Lay North America brands, Doritos and Tostitos.
Snacking is really evolving this year, taking on a more important role as a meal substitute in daily eating. For the opening ceremonies, we offer a peek at the many updates in snacks.
Snacks are hanging tough despite the foot-dragging economy, as nearly one-quarter of consumers struggle to make ends meet. But snackers are snacking more frequently, and the products they’re eating play a more important role in wellness- and indulgent-related eating occasions.
The Minnetonka, Minn.-based food solutions and potassium chloride supplier strikes a deal with Barentz Europe B.V., which is present in 26 countries in Europe, to distribute its Advanced Formula potassium chloride to food manufacturers in Europe. Nu-Tek says that governments in the U.K. and the Netherlands are close to making mandatory rules regarding sodium levels in food products with the aim to reduce high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
June marks the final month of the Grain Foods Foundation’s (GFF) spring campaign, RISE, through which we are highlighting the important connection between grains and energy. As I discussed in my April column introducing RISE, we have enlisted the support of former Olympian, soccer star and mom Mia Hamm as our spokesperson. It’s been an extremely successful campaign, and I’d like to use this column to share an update of our activities to-date.
If it’s time to think differently about trans-fats—from health recommendations to food choices to nutrition labeling—a new website can help. The site explores the important differences to human health between industrial and natural trans-fats.
Innovative, better-for-you ingredients, cleaner labels and smaller sizes hit a hole in one in today’s bar category, which is growing faster than Phil Mikelson’s swing.
Consider this: Some 59% of Americans report making changes to their diet to improve their health, and 69% are trying to lose or maintain their weight, according to a 2011 International Food Informational Council Foundation study. Nine out of 10 Americans, or about 88%, believe that fortified foods and foods with added benefits have at least some impact on overall health.
Every day, we open our newspapers, trade publications, health journals and other forms of electronic communications. And every day, there is at least one story that lays the blame for America’s obesity and Type 2 diabetes epidemic on the demon: Sugar. But not all sugars are being blamed; it’s the added sugar that gets placed into foods unbeknownst to the average consumer who is not reading their food labels.
The bakery market isn’t just putting around. Bakers are listening to consumers and customers, and are developing healthy products, bolstering nutrition, lowering fat, sugar and sodium, and adding more functional ingredients.
While bakery volumes have been experiencing some heavy divots industry-wide, most bakers in the United States are benefiting from their products in key categories, as well as from their innovations and the strength of their brands.