A recent report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Washington, D.C.—aka, the food police—indicates that most movie theater popcorn, along with the beverages and candy sold at the snack counter, are nutritional nightmares. “Who expects about 1,500 calories and three days’ worth of heart-stopping fat in a popcorn and soda combo? That’s the saturated fat of a stick of butter and the calories of two sticks of butter,” says Jayne Hurley, senior nutritionist, CSPI.
Unfortunately, many moviegoers consider their admission ticket an escape from reality, where calories don’t count. The rules are different once they return to the real world, where Nutrition Facts labels exploit the contents of a bag of chips or a candy bar.
The truth is, Americans love to snack, and packaged snack goods are in the midst of a makeover, with many product designers revolutionizing the way Americans snack.
Little gastronomical events
Snack time has become the fourth meal for many, and as a result, expectations of what constitutes a snack are changing.
“Over the past decade, more consumers have developed an interest in their health and are trying to live a healthy lifestyle,” says Carlos Rodriguez, marketing manager, Cargill Salt, Minneapolis. “These consumers are looking for snack options that will help them in their goals, but they must not only be healthy for them, they must also taste good. Taste continues to be among the key drivers in consumer purchase decisions.”
This desire stems, in part, from the recession, which has snackers embracing a value mentality that prizes quality and whole ingredients, better-for-you recipes, and green production practices. While low prices are always a draw, consumers are seeking snacks with fewer additives and/or preservatives, and are spending extra dollars for organic and premium snack treats that can boost their flagging spirits over the long climb back to prosperity.
Overcoming complications
Separating trend from fad is critical before embarking on any snack-food formulating endeavors.
“It is important to distinguish between trends and fads. Trends are long-term influences in the market that are played out over long periods. Fads are momentary blips on a sales graph that represent product news and promotions,” says Tom Rieman, senior business manager, cheese solutions, Kraft Food Ingredients, Memphis, TN. “Trends in salty snacks are centered around better-for-you products, such as baked vs. fried, as well as the elimination of trans fatty acids and saturated fatty acids.” The problem is eliminating some of these also eliminates some of the appeal. To help solve the problem, Rieman suggests “unique flavor ingredients to improve the taste profile of better-for-you snacks, such as fried flavor, which imparts the flavor of fried to products that have been baked.”