Sensory Snacking
Innovation, including thin, puffy and crunchier snacks, is redefining the snacking experience.
Gone are the days when snacks simply needed to provide some crunch and flavor. New snacks on the market aim to deliver a more intense sensory experience for consumers.
“People today are much more aware of the sensory experience [in snacks] and what it means,” says Herbert Stone, PhD, CFS, Senior Consultant, Herbert Stone Consulting, based in San Francisco. “There are new technologies for shapes and forms. The big question always is whether a product is liked enough to try again [and] if you have a product with different flavor experience in the package to create interest.”
Innovation in Crunch
“There are things companies can do to stand out,” says Tom Vierhile, Innovation Insights Director at Canadean Consumer, who is based in New York.
Vierhile highlights tightly rolled up tortilla chips as one example of innovation in the tortilla chips segment. “[A rolled chip has] a concentrated crunch, a harder bite than a typical tortilla chip, and is better for dipping,” adds Vierhile.
Some manufacturers are cutting chips into a lattice shape in order to create a different surface area for spices and seasonings, along with adding more crunch, according to Vierhile.
Additionally, “more companies are capitalizing on the use of air” to provide crunch, notes Vierhile; “With pretzels, the center is bored out to provide more pop.” When consumers bite in, the pretzel delivers a pop, which is intensified crunch.
Utilizing Salt
Salt is often thought of as going hand in hand with snack products.
“Sea salt is almost ubiquitous, but companies are not maximizing its potential yet,” states Vierhile. “There may also be ways to use salt as a flavor carrier that are underutilized.”
“Salt has an important role to play in flavoring systems,” says Stone. Salt can create a different texture and flavor experience with its ability to absorb moisture.
Key Categories
“Consumers in the snack and cookie space tend to be novelty seeking, and like to experiment,” says Vierhile. “There is always room for creativity.”
Wheat Thins®, for one, has its Limited Edition line of crackers, Even Thinners. Cookies such as Oreo® and Keebler® Simply Made® Cookies are also being made thinner to deliver flavor with fewer calories, but more flavor pop, according to Vierhile.
“There is also a trend toward clusters — a ball-like snack with crushed nuts — so one can engage in mindless snacking,” says Vierhile. “There’s a lot of innovation there because they can be filled or made hollow.”
Following Trends
“Companies should keep on top of what consumers are interested in [and take note of] the direction of the foodservice industry,” states Vierhile. “[The sensory snack trend does] represent a big opportunity for smaller or mid-size enterprises,” notes Stone.
Consumers becoming more open to sensory snacking presents innovation opportunities for snack manufacturers.
[1] Stone, Herbert. 19 Apr 2016. Phone interview.
[1] Vierhile, Tom. 18 Apr 2016. Phone interview.