The days of better-for-you snacks being considered niche are long ago and far away. Modern consumers regularly seek out bakery treats and sumptuous snacks that not only have to taste great, they also have to tick off all the boxes on their healthy eating checklists—lots of protein, little or no sugar, decent fiber content, and more. Producers can find it challenging to deliver on all those demands, which are constantly evolving. To learn more about the ever-changing trends, and how producers might be able to keep up, we connected with Shannon Fitzgerald, marketing manager with Balchem Human Nutrition and Health.

Jenni Spinner: Could you please share an overview of Balchem and the solutions you offer for food and beverage (particularly snack makers and bakery producers)?

Shannon Fitzgerald: Balchem offers a wide array of solutions for food and beverages. For bakery, our BakeShure line includes acidulants and preservatives, which can help extend shelf life in yeast-leavened applications. These technologies can help bakers reduce waste, improve product consistency, extend the viability of frozen dough and increase the flexibility in the production of fresh or refrigerated bakery products. We also offer encapsulated leavening agents to help protect from premature reactions in chemical leavening, preserving the integrity of baked goods and mixes. Another of our food and beverage solutions is FlavorShur pretzel salts, which deliver freeze-thaw stability, helping to ensure consistent flavor and visual appeal for pretzels straight from the freezer case, giving frozen snack manufacturers greater confidence in their products' performance on shelf and at home.

When it comes to meat applications, our MeatShure acids are ideal for starter culture replacement, enabling the potential for zero-sugar in meat snack sticks, while also helping to increase production capacities through elimination of the fermentation step. This not only aids optimisation of production, but helps meet consumer demand for cleanerlabel, protein-rich snacks. 

Last but not least, our INhance Inclusion are a game-changer for limited-time offers (LTOs), especially for the bakery and dairy industries. This drop-in technology easily adds color, flavor and aroma to a variety of solutions for quick new product developments – empowering brands to pivot fast, test seasonal trends, and stand out in a fast‑moving market.

JS: Your company showcased a number of innovative solutions at IFT FIRST this year, geared at helping producers create products that deliver high protein, on-trend tastes, and indulgence. Could you please talk about your overall portfolio at the show? 

SF: Functional snacking doesn’t have to come at the cost of enjoyment. At this year’s IFT First, we showcased zero-sugar meat snack sticks made with our MeatShure technology, which removes the need for added sugar, all while delivering the quality consumers crave. With interest in GLP-1s and high protein diets rising as a big driver in this category, it’s no surprise that meat sticks are one of the fastest-growing snack categories. Convenient, high in protein and now sugar-free too, they’re a smart choice for health-conscious consumers.   

JS: Please tell us a little bit more about MeatShure, and how might it benefit producers offering meat sticks, jerky, and other similar products.

SF: Producers must keep pace with the growing demand for meat snack sticks.  To help brands meet this challenge, we offer MeatShure encapsulated acids – a powerful solution for pH control in semi-dried sausages.  MeatShure acids can be used as an alternative to traditional fermentation methods, allowing the acid to be directly mixed into the meat emulsion without negatively impacting the meat proteins or breaking the emulsion itself. This enables manufacturers to remove the fermentation step, helping to free up hours of processing time and benefitting from assisting increased production capacities.

JS: Balchem also led a few enlightening sessions in the IFT FIRST educational program. First, could you tell us some of the key points from “Encapsulation Technology for Zero-Sugar Meat Snacks and Scaled-Up Production?”

SF: In our session, we spotlighted how acidulants are revolutionizing how meat snack sticks are made, especially by facilitating ‘no sugar added’ formulations that maintain flavor and texture. We discussed one of MeatShure’s most exciting advantages: its ability help boost production capacity. This is done through the elimination of the fermentation stage, ultimately assisting in making processing more efficient. We also discussed the precise control MeatShure’ offers over pH levels. This accuracy helps ensure there is no unwanted microbial growth, helping promote safety and stability. Lastly, the session explored how these factors mean that MeatShure acidulants ensure consistent and reliable control of flavor profiles and a superior product quality, helping producers deliver snacks that consumers love.

JS: Then, you  had the very much on trend “Formulating for Today's Consumer: High Protein, Healthy Fats and High Fiber;” please share some of the highlights from that session.

SF: The session drew a great crowd eager to explore cutting-edge trends shaping the future of food and beverages. With growing consumer demand for protein-packed nutrition, and ingredients that support healthy weight management, manufacturers need solutions that deliver on both performance and taste, and that’s exactly what we set out to demonstrate. 

In the talk, we showcased two concepts powered by Balchem solutions; a plant-based chocolate oat creamer soft serve and a GLP-1 support beverage. The chocolate creamer soft serve features our oat creamer with added soy protein and our Stabilipro inulin. Combining deep cocoa richness with the natural sweetness of oats; this high-protein application proves that functional doesn’t have to mean boring. The second was our GLP-1 support beverage with VitalBlend high protein neutral base and Stabilipro inulin, a concept that taps into one of the fastest-emerging areas. As interest in GLP-1-related benefits grows, the session explored how new product categories such as GLP-1 support can rapid shaping the future of the industry.  These examples reinforced the message of the session: that the next wave of product innovation will be driven by the intersection of functionality, convenience and taste.

JS: What health-conscious consumers are looking for is always evolving—could you please share your perspective on how their wellness needs are evolving, and how companies like Balchem can help producers deliver?

SF: Wellness means something different to every consumer, and those definitions are evolving faster than ever. They’re seeking claims like low sugar, high protein, free from additives and more, yet they’re not willing to compromise on taste or texture. Today’s shoppers want products that not only reflect their unique goals, values, and lifestyles – but that they also enjoy.

With these varying wellness goals in mind, Balchem offers solutions that both nourish the body and delight the senses, from essential nutrition to sensory-rich experiences. We offer cutting-edge ingredients and technologies designed to meet evolving consumer needs, and our technical team help brands create great-tasting, on-trend concepts designed specifically for their target market. Whether its nutritional enhancements, improved functionality or even clean label formulation, we we partner with our customers to bring high-quality, on-trend innovations to life, leveraging our know-how and capability to deliver the highest quality products on time, every time.

Related: Consumers have functional snacks on the brain