Consumers are Craving Low Sodium Options in the Salty Snack Category

As a staple for most American’s pantries, salty snacks continue to ride a steady ascent into 2020. According to IRI Convenience Data, dollar sales for the salty snacks category grew 6% for the year ending December 29, 2019, reaching $5.88 billion.¹ The sub-categories paving the way for salty snacks this year include cheese snacks (+12.2%), pretzels (+5.5%), and potato chips (+4.0%).¹

“Surge buying” during the Coronavirus outbreak also revealed a significant spike for this category. IRI shared that, “salty snacks have been the No. 1 food item that's contributed to sales growth at retailers since early March when consumers were shifting purchasing priorities amid stay-at-home orders for various states.” ²

While the data shows that salty cravings are still driving purchase decisions, Innova Market Insights notes that the “low sodium” trend is still rapidly growing in this category as well.³

As the salty snacks category is growing in tandem with “low sodium/lower sodium” claims, it’s apparent that consumers are demanding more from food manufacturers than ever before. However, it’s also clear that food companies are rising to the occasion. One way that we see snack manufacturers responding to consumer demand for lower sodium products is by the increased use of potassium chloride as an ingredient.⁴

Potassium chloride, an healthful salt substitute, can be used to help lower sodium and boost potassium levels in food products. As the world continues to look to slash sodium intake, potassium chloride can be one of the go-to ingredients to help food companies achieve their reformulation goals.

To learn more about potassium chloride, visit https://www.cargill.com/food-beverage/na/potassium-chloride-products.

Sources:

1. https://cstoredecisions.com/2020/03/23/salty-snacks-set-for-strong-2020/
2. https://progressivegrocer.com/snacks-shift-toward-new-normal
3. Innova New Products Database and Innova Food Metrix (slide 28)
4. Innova Market Insights