Snackification Trend Gains Momentum

In APAC, consumers are snacking more than ever. The stress, boredom, and fatigue from the pandemic have fueled more impulsive behaviors. This is why many of us turn to food to help control our moods. For that reason, it is no surprise that snacking frequency has surged over the past year.¹⁰ According to Hartman Group research, 70% of consumers snack on an average day. On top of that, 20% of people say they’ve changed how they snack compared to last year, with 35% reporting they now snack more often⁸.

Market Data

Sales of Top 5 Potato Chip Producers in 2023

Source: SFWB, 2023  

Current Challenges Confronting the Snack Industry

Sheeted snacks such as potato chips have a light and crispy texture. As such, they are easy to break during the journey through the supply chain due to their brittle and delicate texture. This breakage issue can impact both retail sales and manufacturer costs⁹. When there is excess breakage, the products have to be rejected. The rejected products can cause a significant cost due to the wasted raw materials. For consumers, chips that are broken into small pieces can cause disappointment, taking away the joy of a perfectly crunchy bite⁹.

Despite the rising demand for exciting and pleasurable textures, consumers also look for a better-for-you snack. They agree with the statement that “the more natural, the better”. More than ever, these consumers will look for clean-labelled, natural, and free-from products. Nevertheless, with a health consideration in enjoying salty snacks, consumers prefer products that are lower in salt or sodium⁵.

Rice Starch and Rice Flour: A Solution to Clean Label and Beneficial Impact on Snack’s Texture!

BENEO’s rice ingredients have been used in many food applications thanks to their clean taste and beneficial impact on texture, from improved creaminess in fat-reduced dairy products, to extra crunchiness in gluten-free cookies and the crispiness of deep-fried snacks. BENEO rice starch helps fine-tune a variety of textures, including hardness, crunchiness, brittleness, and softness. Rice starch also acts as a clean-label texturizer and can be used as an alternative to chemically modified starches with similar technical performance levels.

BENEO rice flour has shown a high thickening speed during the cooling process, leading to a crispy product. Besides, it also helps to control the porosity of expanded products. Additionally, production losses arising from breakage during packaging can be significantly reduced.

Yeast and Malt Extract: Solutions for Natural and Savoury Snack Flavours!

According to the FONA International report, “more than six in ten consumers consider chips made from all-natural ingredients healthier than other chips.” Better-for-you snack doesn’t mean missing out on flavor⁴. A natural ingredient from Australian manufacturer, Halcyon Protein, offers a large range of specialty flavourings with an exceptional savoury umami taste. They produce a range of naturally occurring yeast extracts which are natural food ingredients produced from the digestion of yeast cells releasing naturally occurring ribonucleotide and amino acids⁷. This unique umami feature is perfect for MSG replacement or salt reduction in snacks. Additionally, they also meet the customer demands for non-GMO, free from preservatives and additives⁷. 

 Halcyon Protein’s Flavex yeast extract product range includes variants such as ⁷:

• Umami
• Beef
• Chicken
• Smoked
• Savoury
• Cheese Enhancers
• Sodium reduced versions
• Vegetable
• General Booster

Besides yeast extract, Halcyon Protein produces malt extract powder which is made from the finest Australian malted barley. The malt extract powder is produced in free flowing with a characteristic of flavour made from barley grain that has not been genetically modified⁶. Moreover, they are also rich in nutritional value, containing minerals such as magnesium and potassium, essential amino acids, folic acids, and a richness of vitamins, particularly B group⁶.

Flavex Malt extract powder product range consists of⁶:

• Light coloured, sweet malty flavour
• Dark malt, strong roast flavour

DPO International, a full-suite market enabler, collaborates with leading specialized food ingredient producers, Beneo and Halcyon Protein. We are equipped to help you transform these trends into innovative brand concepts, from ideation to the manufacturing stage, providing solutions and support throughout each phase.

References:

1. Beneo. (n.d.). Consumers agree that the more natural, the better. Retrieved from https://www.beneo.com/beneo_news/consumers-agree-that-the-more-natural-the-better
2. Beneo. (n.d.). Matching today’s expectations. Specialty rice ingredients for better nutrition. https://www.beneo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/beneo-brochure-specialty-rice-ingredients-en-202209v7-web.pdf
3. Beneo. (n.d.). Rice Ingredients: Texturizers for gluten-free & lactose-free products. https://www.beneo.com/ingredients/human-nutrition/specialty-rice-ingredients
4. FONA International. (2021). WHAT’S NEW IN SNACKS?. Snacking today and tomorrow. https://d1e3z2jco40k3v.cloudfront.net/-/media/project/oneweb/fon21/articles/2021/07/fona_snackinginsight_0721pdf.pdf?rev=908ed6dbb38841c7b43ccbae89e7c456&hash=897C7B752B3242C9EFB88E50E958A97B
5. Food Ingredients First. (2018). Snack attack: Better-for-you, healthy, spicy and savory NPD drivers. https://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/snack-attack-better-for-you-healthy-spicy-and-savory-npd-drivers.html
6. Halcyon Protein. (n.d.). Malt Extracts. https://www.halcyonproteins.com.au/malt_extracts.asp
7. Halcyon Protein. (n.d.). Yeast Extracts. https://www.halcyonproteins.com.au/yeast_extracts.asp
8. Hartman Group. (2020). Snacking 2020: Emerging, Evolving and Disrupted. Industry Report. https://www.hartman-group.com/reports/1266620322/snacking-2020-emerging-evolving-and-disrupted
9. Ingredion. (2021). Provide that satisfying crunch AND reduce breakage in your go-to snacks. https://www.ingredion.com/apac/en-sg/solving-a-challenge/innovation-with-idea-labs/snacking/snacking-troubleshooting/reduce-breakage-and-improve-the-eating-experience.html
10. Perfumer & Flavourist. (2021). Flavorful Snack Trends: Fuel Consumer Demands. Retrieved from https://www.perfumerflavorist.com/flavor/trends/article/21855638/flavorful-snack-trends-fuel-consumer-demands
11. SFWB. (2023). State of the Industry 2023: Consumers still crave chips. Special Report from https://www.snackandbakery.com/articles/109432-state-of-the-industry-2023-consumers-still-crave-chips