Pecans pack in year-round snack appeal for consumers
A recent survey indicates shoppers are hungry for products containing the nut.
Courtesy of the American Pecan Promotion Board
Once primarily thought of as a “holiday” nut, more consumers are recognizing the year-round attraction of pecans. The majority of pecan lovers expressing passion for the nut’s indulgent, succulent flavor that belies its health profile. In fact, a Datassential survey revealed that nine in 10 consumers stated that they are “interested in purchasing products with pecans” in general, and 77% of consumers saying that they “like” and even “love” the rich, buttery flavor pecans bring to a finished product.
Millennials love pecans for the health of it, and nearly eight in 10 Boomers—one of the largest demographics—are specifically seeking pecan products throughout the year. Among all demographics of consumers, 70% noted in a recent study that they would like to enjoy pecans from January through December. Two thirds of them focused on the nut’s status as a nutrient dense “superfood” and how it fits into plant-based or keto eating plans.
For example, a report issued last year in the industry publication Produce Business included information from the research group 210 Analytics, LLC, that from June 2019 to May 2020 “U.S. retail pecan snack nuts were $64 million in dollar sales, up 15.3%” and “pecans experienced an even stronger performance in volume, gaining 21.2% in volume sales.”
Similar data cited from industry figures referenced in that report noted that, in dollar sales, while snack nuts as a general category experienced a 2.5% gain over the previous year, pecan sales were up almost seven times as much, at more than 15%. According to the Produce Business report, 210 Analytics cited pecan sales as one of the fastest growing among all tree nuts.
Made for health enthusiasts
We know consumers typically associate nuts with health—and the consumer perceptions are right, especially when it comes to pecans. Pecans are noted for their distinctive mix of health-promoting nutrients and bioactive compounds. Like other nuts, pecans contain primarily unsaturated fats—but they’re among the highest in monounsaturated fats, especially the beneficial oleic acid also found in olive oil. Each one ounce serving of pecans has 18g of monosaturated fat, 2g of saturated fat, and 36mg of plant sterols. They also contain 11% DV of dietary fiber.
Pecans abound in vitamins, including the antioxidant vitamins A (8mcg/oz. as beta-carotene) and E (as 7mg gamma-tocopherol), and B vitamins (including .55mg thiamin and 22mcg folate). Plus they contain a full library of essential minerals, including phosphorous (253mg, or 20% DV), potassium (360mg, or 7.5% DV), iron (2.4mg, or 13% DV), zinc (4mg, or 36% DV), selenium (the antioxidant mineral; 3.8mcg, or 7% DV), copper (1.2mg, or 133% DV), magnesium (103mg, or 25% DV), and manganese (4.5mg, or 196% DV).
Pecans are gifted with a unique buttery flavor and texture that makes them unbeatable for use in both sweet and savory formulations—and especially the highly trendy combination of both sensations. Their toasty nuttiness, even when raw, complements animal proteins, such as poultry and fish when used as a coating or in a topping or sauce.
With a meaty toothsomeness, they contribute savory umami notes and depth to savory fillings, energy bites, savory spreads, and cheese dips, while providing gentle texture contrast in both soft and crumbly baked goods such as cookies and muffins. Toasting pecans increases their flavor and their sweetness and gives them an inviting crunch.
These qualities (and the fact that the Datassential survey discovered that an impressive 75% of consumers think the rich, buttery flavor of pecans goes well with a variety of ingredients and flavors) are inspiring product developers and research chefs across the country to think outside traditional categories. They are rushing to take advantage of the expanding potential of pecans in an array of new products.
Whether formulating foods and beverages to serve categories such as “plant-based,” “gluten-free,” “grain free,” or the popular keto and paleo eating plans, pecans are ideal. They fit virtually any eating plan or lifestyle as more manufacturers include on-pack claims to communicate the premium custom nutrition of a product.
Over the past decade, new line extensions using pecans have exploded with 141% growth, and new product introductions featuring pecans specifically jumped an impressive 54%. Examples of such launches include creamy nut butters, inclusion in spicy seasoned snack mixes, functional protein bars, milk analogs and other nut-milk beverages, and even plant-based meat alternatives.
Guide to proper storage and handling
Pecans unique fat and oil profile provides nutritious properties, but also makes them susceptible to oxidation. Shelled pecans are packed in vacuum-packed cans, jars, glass, cellophane bags or poly-lined boxes to protect against factors such as humidity, oxidation and light. Pecans should be kept in air-tight packaging, stored away from foods with strong odors, refrigerated (for inventories up to nine months) or frozen (for inventories longer than nine months and up to two years). Pecans can be thawed and re-frozen repeatedly during the two-year freezing period without loss of flavor or texture.
Putting pecans to work
Pecan suppliers can provide varieties (there are hundreds to choose from) and forms of the nut for every application. Shelled pecans can be purchased in a number of formats that allow product developers the precise type to attain their formulation goals including texture, binding, thickening and extending. Pecans come in multiple sizes and color shades and prepared in formats ranging from whole and whole-shelled, halves and pieces to chopped, ground, meal, and even defatted pecan flour. Each of the chopped and ground formats can be customized to whatever size is needed for the formulation in mind.
The marketers’ choice
A study published last year in the Journal of Food Distribution Research gauged consumer attitudes and consumption patterns for pecans. Asking respondents what specifically would “make them more likely to purchase more pecans,” nearly a third suggested placing “emphasis on health and nutrition considerations.”
The study also noted that principal pecan perceptions that come to consumers’ minds are that the nut is an ingredient associated with “cooking or pies, delicious/tasty desserts, family/holiday gatherings and memories, wholesome, snacks, nutrition powerhouse, homegrown.” This shows pecans will fold perfectly into the spaces of both comfort/traditional foods and functional foods.
Shouldn’t you choose pecans?
Pecans resonate particularly well with today’s consumers, boasting wide-reaching appeal for their incredible flavor, useful versatility and potential, succulent texture, and superfood nutrition. Their wide-reaching consumer appeal, complex-yet-familiar and comforting flavor, flexibility, endless texture potential, and premium attraction make pecans a superfood that can help product developers create trendy and alluring snack foods and bakery items. In fact, given the combination of comfort and health, especially the nutrition benefits of pecans, 67% of consumers surveyed by Datassential responded that they “feel better purchasing an indulgent food with pecans.”
For product developers, pecans carry premium appeal with high marketability and competitive cost. That high marketability sits squarely on the aforementioned strong consumer interest in pecans on multiple levels that include flavor, comfort, tradition, and nutrition. Pecans offer snack and bakery product developers a treasure trove of value to help create craveworthy products. Check out EatPecans.com/professionals for more on how to include flavorful, versatile, wholesome pecans in your formulations.
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