Abstract
Healthy snacking has taken on added importance in view of convenience, health, regulation and movement by the food and beverage industry to adapt and prosper from these trends.
This report is a must-read for industry participants interested in learning about:
- The shifting dynamics of healthy snacking as they are related to nine different food segments
- Who is innovating in the marketplace and why those innovations may succeed or fail in the longer term
- Which brands are positioning themselves for future growth
- Four distinct classes of snackers, as revealed by cluster analysis
- Comparing food segments by their association between health and snacking via Mintel' s unique "healthy snacking multiple" system
- Mintel' s consumer analysis concerning not only usage and frequency of use of 20 snackable foods, but also analysis of low-in, added value claims, as well as taste, appetite, and looks
- Insights and opportunities laced throughout the report go "beyond the data" to provide thought-forward market research leadership that shows readers where the healthy snacking market will go as well as where it has been.
- Consumer analysis includes 20 food products extending fresh fruit to yogurt to nuts/seeds, and chocolate bars. Nine segments are covered in detail in self-standing sections: Nuts and seeds, dried fruit and fruit snacks, yogurt, rice cakes, trail mix, snack bars, popcorn, cheese, pretzels, and potato/corn chips.
Table of Contents
- Scope and Themes
- What you need to know
- Definition
- Figure 1: Foods eaten as healthy snacks, December 2007
- Data sources and methodology
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Methodology
- Figure 2: Usage of nuts/seeds as a snack and as a "healthy" snack, 2007
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
- Executive Summary
- Broad-based government action key to long-term healthy snacking growth
- Competition is growing for healthy snacks
- Segmentation reveals struggle between eating what you want and eating right
- Segment overview
- Factors impacting healthy snack sales
- Frito-Lay and Kellogg' s differentiate brands
- Less healthy snacks drive innovation
- Marketing healthy snacks
- Healthy snacks demonstrate healthy frequency of use
- What' s important to consumers--the plus/minus factor
- Taste and satisfaction reign supreme
- Healthy snacks for kids
- Competitive Context
- A complex competitive market
- Foodservice vying for its share of the snack market
- Segment Performance
- Key points
- Portion-control packaging implies healthy snack
- Adding functional benefit to elevate health association
- Healthy snackers desire full flavor
- Figure 3: Selected foods used as healthy snacks, by FDM sales and percentage of use, 2007
- Segment Performance--Nuts and Seeds
- Key points
- Nuts rank high on healthy snacking scale--opportunities remain to add
value with flavor and packaging applications
- Figure 4: Usage of nuts/seeds as a snack and as a "healthy" snack, 2007
- Segment Performance--Dried Fruit and Fruit Snacks
- Key points
- Dried fruit is innately healthy and convenient
- Fruit snacks operate from a less healthy platform
- Figure 5: Usage of dried fruit and fruit snacks as a snack and as a "healthy" snack, 2007
- Segment Performance--Yogurt
- Key points
- Strong alignment between yogurt and health--opportunity to improve
association as a snack food
- Figure 6: Usage of yogurt as a snack and as a "healthy" snack, 2007
- Segment Performance--Rice Cakes
- Key points
- Rice cakes may be healthy, but scope of users is limited
- Figure 7: Usage of rice cakes as a snack and as a "healthy" snack, 2007
- Segment Performance--Trail Mix
- Key points
- Trail mix is a go-to snack with a healthy proposition--but could be at
risk
- Figure 8: Usage of trail mix as a snack and as a "healthy" snack, 2007
- Segment Performance--Snack Bars
- Key points
- Varied offerings discount healthy image
- Focus on nutrition
- Figure 9: Usage of snack bars* as a snack and as a "healthy" snack, 2007
- Segment Performance--Popcorn
- Key points
- Merging health with RTE convenience to build popcorn' s healthy snack image
- Figure 10: Usage of popcorn as a snack and as a "healthy" snack, 2007
- Segment Performance--Cheese
- Key points
- Promoting cheese as a snack food
- Figure 11: Usage of cheese as a snack and as a "healthy" snack, 2007
- Segment Performance--Pretzels
- Key points
- Add health value to pretzels and give flavor a kick
- Figure 12: Usage of pretzels as a snack and as a "healthy" snack, 2007
- Segment Performance--Potato/Corn Chips
- Key points
- Chips rank low as a healthy snack--baked, reduced fat, 100-calorie packs
and healthier oil increase nutritional stance
- Figure 13: Usage of potato/corn chips as a snack and as a "healthy" snack, 2007
- Market Drivers
- Broad-based government action key to long-term healthy snacking growth
- Hold the fat! No significant change in adult obesity rates
- Children continue to battle the bulge
- Figure 14: Attributes important to choosing snack for children, December 2007
- Scientific research fuels consumers' perception of what is healthy
- Selected Brand Analysis--Nuts/Seeds
- Key points
- Contemporary flavors increase appeal by offering variety to snackers
- Figure 15: Selected FDM brand sales of nuts/seeds in the U.S., 2006 and 2007
- Explicitly targeting health-minded consumers with NUT-rition line and single-serve packaging
- Blue Diamond is successful with BOLD flavors; Emerald offers sweet and savory
- Promotion of lesser-known nuts and seeds offers growth potential
- Selected Brand Analysis--Dried Fruit and Fruit Snacks
- Key points
- Conveniently delivering exotic flavor experiences and functional health
- Figure 16: Selected FDM brand sales of dried fruit and fruit snacks in the U.S., 2006 and 2007
- Brands featuring unusual fruit or fruit mixes are attracting attention
- Ocean Spray and Sunsweet score with functional benefits of cranberries and dried plums
- Selected Brand Analysis--Yogurt
- Key points
- Dannon, Yoplait kids' brands should emulate adult yogurt nutritional value
- Figure 17: Selected FDM brand sales of yogurt in the U.S., 2006 and 2007
- Dannon innovates with functional benefits; Yoplait Light and Weight Watchers court dieters
- Danimals: applying lessons learned
- Selected Brand Analysis--Rice Cakes
- Key points
- Frito-Lay dominates sales--fueling growth through calorie-control packs
- Figure 18: Selected FDM brand sales of rice cakes in the U.S., 2006 and 2007
- Selected Brand Analysis--Trail Mix
- Key points
- Figure 19: Selected FDM brand sales of trail mix in the U.S., 2006 and 2007
- New brands enter segment to challenge Planters
- Selected Brand Analysis--Snack Bars
- Key points
- Yin and yang: balancing convenience and health
- Where' s the fruit?
- Momentum favors healthier products and flavor innovation
- Brand power: Kellogg' s flexes Special K muscle
- Figure 20: Selected FDM brand sales of yogurt in the U.S., 2006 and 2007
- Selected Brand Analysis--Popcorn
- Key points
- Snackers want healthy popcorn brands...
- ...but RTE convenience is also in demand
- Figure 21: Selected FDM brand sales of popcorn in the U.S., 2006 and 2007
- Implied healthier branded popcorn like Frito-Lay' s Smart Food perform well
- Ready-to-eat popcorn brands rise--proving convenience is king
- Selected Brand Analysis--Cheese
- Key points
- Inherently healthy natural cheeses packaged and formatted for snackability
- Processed cheeses can find a niche among healthy snackers
- Figure 22: Selected FDM brand sales of processed cheese in the U.S., 2006 and 2007
- Natural cheese appeals to healthy snackers--featuring form and function
- Few processed cheese brands healthy cheese snackers can turn to
- Selected Brand Analysis--Pretzels
- Key points
- Moving beyond fat-free to attract current health-conscious snackers
- Creating excitement with flavor innovation
- Figure 23: Selected FDM brand sales of pretzels in the U.S., 2006 and 2007
- Snyder' s and Utz--offering healthier pretzel choices
- Brands offering flavor innovations reap greatest gains
- Selected Brand Analysis--Potato Chips
- Key points
- Frito-Lay seeks healthier position for all its chip brands
- Brands succeed with baked and reduced fat varieties
- Figure 24: Selected FDM brand sales of potato chips in the U.S., 2006 and 2007
- Regular and light brands fall; baked and reduced fat thrive
- Pringles targets healthy snackers with calorie-controlled options
- Brand Qualities
- Frito-Lay
- The Kellogg Company
- Innovation and Innovators
- Product launches targeting healthy snackers escalate
- Figure 25: New healthy snack product launches*, by sub-category, 2003-07
- Healthy snacking innovators
- PepsiCo (Frito-Lay/Quaker)
- Kellogg' s
- Advertising and Promotion
- Overview
- Health benefits
- Product reformulations
- Figure 26: Television ad for Lay' s with sunflower oil
- Functional health
- Figure 27: Television ad for Dannon Activia
- Figure 28: Television ad for Kraft LiveActive
- Healthy living
- Lifestyle changes
- Figure 29: Television ad for Frito-Lay SunChips
- Figure 30: Television ad for Laughing Cow Cheese
- Figure 31: Television ad for Emerald Snack Nuts
- Figure 32: Television ad for Sun-Maid Raisins
- Figure 33: Television ad for Special K bars
- Figure 34: Television ad for Quaker Granola Bites
- Diet-centric
- Figure 35: Television ad for Yoplait
- Small packaging is big in advertising
- Figure 36: Television ad for Pringles Mini
- Figure 37: Television ad for Sunsweet Ones
- Figure 38: Television ad for Quaker Mini Delights
- Usage
- Figure 39: Foods considered snacks, December 2007
- Figure 40: Foods eaten that are considered healthy snacks, December 2007
- Figure 41: Percentage consumnption as healthy snack, December 2007
- Frequency of Use
- Figure 42: Frequency of healthy snack consumption, December 2007
- Figure 43: Frequency of healthy snack consumption, by age, December 2007
- Figure 44: Frequency of healthy snack consumption, by HH income, December 2007
- Attitudes and Motivations
- Low-in claims
- Figure 45: Importance of low-in claims when choosing a healthy snack, by gender, December 2007
- Figure 46: Importance of low-in claims when choosing a healthy snack, by age, December 2007
- Figure 47: Importance of low-in claims when choosing a healthy snack, by HH income, December 2007
- Figure 48: Importance of low-in claims when choosing a healthy snack, by race/ethnicity, December 2007
- Added-value claims
- Figure 49: Importance of added-value claims when choosing a healthy snack, by age, December 2007
- Figure 50: Importance of added-value claims when choosing a healthy snack, by race/ethnicity, December 2007
- Taste/appetite/looks
- Figure 51: Importance of taste, appetite satisfaction, and packaging when choosing a healthy snack, by gender, December 2007
- Figure 52: Importance of taste, appetite satisfaction, and packaging when choosing a healthy snack, by age, December 2007
- Figure 53: Importance of taste, appetite satisfaction, and packaging when choosing a healthy snack, by race/ethnicity, December 2007
- Appendix: Trade Associations
