The collective puffed, popped, pellet and extruded snack segment continues to see positive sales activity and a strong level of product innovation. For the 52 weeks ending Dec. 25, 2016, IRI, Chicago, reports the leading puffed and extruded segment, Other Salted Snacks (No Nuts), at $3.9 billion in sales, up 4.43 percent in dollar sales. The top growth leader for the period in the segment was Hain Celestial, up 14.97 percent to $194.1 million. Hain Celestial continues to find an increasing audience for its Sensible Portions products, and recently released the seasonal Garden Veggie Chips Mini Hearts.
The Cheese Snacks segment likewise saw growth for the period, up 6.33 percent to $2.1 billion. Corn Snacks (No Tortilla Chips) likewise saw a modest gain, up 3.48 percent to $1.1 billion. And Pork Rinds grew by 2.42 percent to $408.3 million.