Healthy and natural ingredients are now key drivers in the snack industry, according to senior principal with Technomic, David Henkes.
Speaking at Bord Bia’s annual foodservice seminar in Dublin, Henkes explained that recent research has indicated that 37% of global consumers say they are snacking healthier – with almost 75% of consumers saying that they snack at least once a day.
“Consumers are becoming more health conscience. Healthy is a driver. While indulgence still rules the day in terms of how consumers snack, we also ask consumers about the healthy options when it comes to snacks.
“So 37% say they are snacking healthier, while only 6% say they are snacking less healthy. Consumers are at least twice as likely to say they are snacking healthier now than two years ago, versus unhealthy.
Having that practical snack, having a snack that consumers select that is healthy, is nearly as important as crave-ability. If you can combine a health-orientated snack that is also craveable, it’s going to be a huge win.
“Globally, operators are making ingredients the hero. When you talk about what’s driving the business, high-quality, fresh ingredients are consistently the number one traffic driver,” he said.
Henkes explained that clean eating is one of the those things that is increasingly in the spotlight as consumers are asking for transparency.
Consumers are looking to understand where the food comes from, where it is sourced from and they are looking for food with a story, he added.
If foodservice operators can bring their ingredients to the fore – focusing on additive-free, real food with simple preparation – and make those ingredients the hero of the menu, the more likely they are to find success, Henkes explained.
“Anyone can make the ingredient the hero, it’s not just the high end restaurants,” he said.
What does ‘healthy’ really mean?
Commenting on what consumers view as ‘healthy’, Henkes said: “It’s not about low calories; it’s not about low fat; it’s not about diet. It’s all about real.
Going back to all natural; going back to sustainable; going back to farm grown – all of these are things that create food with a story. That’s perceived as healthy now.
“It’s not necessarily about calories. So a consumer can have an 800-900 calorie burrito, but if it’s made with fresh ingredients, if they (the consumer) believe that it is sourced sustainably and perhaps if the beef is 100% Irish, all of those things play into the ‘halo’ of healthy.
“It’s not necessarily that I ate a 900 calorie burrito, it’s that I feel better about what I ate because it’s real and it’s natural. It’s about creating that story that you are doing something good for your body by eating natural ingredients,” he concluded.