Whole seeds and nutrition are among key snack bar trends at Fancy Food Show

29-Jun-2023 - Last updated on 06-Jul-2023 at 01:27 GMT

Image source: Deniz Ataman

As Americans return to a post-pandemic routine marked by more evening shopping trips and a preference for better-for-you convenient snacks, the snack bar category continues to evolve to meet their needs with notable trends featured during the Fancy Food Show in New York City, June 25-27.

While taste is the number one driver behind consumer snack bar preferences, primarily through whole nuts, seeds, fruits and chocolate, health and convenience are also essential for brands to differentiate themselves in a saturated market. With an estimated worth of $47.17 billion by 2030 and a CAGR of 7.6% between 20222 and 2030, the category is driven by healthy and mindful indulgences where consumers are looking for comfort and novelty in flavors, with more nutritional and satiating value.

Zing’s plant-based nutrition bars include 10 grams of protein, four to five grams of fiber and five to six grams of sugar. The brand featured its line up of nutritionist-formulated bars, including flavors like dark chocolate peanut butter, double nut brownie, dark chocolate cherry almond, peanut butter chocolate chip and coconut cashew crisps.

With one gram of sugar, its keto lineup includes chocolate almond cacao crunch, macadamia snickerdoodle and peanut butter cookie dough, and contains three grams of net carbs and no added sugar.

Tthe intersection between health sciences and food continues to shape all areas of food and beverage, and in the bar set aligns with the rising number of consumers who are showing a higher level of acceptance in food and technology.

Based in Puerto Rico, Dulzura featured its portfolio of seed and coconut snack bars at the show. Carmen Rios, co-founder and vice president, explained to FoodNavigator-USA how the brand continued to evolve to align with consumer preferences from its origins as a coconut snack company which was founded by her father-in-law.

“We developed different combinations and different packaging and keeping up a new vision of this type of snack, which is tropical. Market trends have changed through the years and we see a huge opportunity in gluten-free, vegan and non-GMO snacks. And 12 years ago, we started highlighting that in the packaging,” she explained.

Rios explained that the brand is educating consumers and retailers about the ingredients and their health benefits, which focus on low sugar, high protein bars with no artificial colors or flavors.

The snack bars are primarily made with sesame seeds and feature flavors like Honey & Almonds, while the coconut bars highlight tropical flavors like guava, ginger and pineapple.

Recently, the brand introduced its mini-sized bars in resealable, recyclable pouches as consumers are also looking for portion control.

Seed-based granola bar, Blake’s features whole pumpkin, sunflower and flax seeds with fruit, which are displayed on the front of the packaging. The brand showcased its Chocolate Chip, Birthday Cake and Apple Cinnamon bars, as well as its crispy treat bars in Original and Strawberry. Nut-free, gluten-free and vegan, the bars contain 150 calories with eight grams of sugar and catered towards consumers who are looking for allergen-free alternatives.

More exclusive snack bar insight

FoodNavigator-USA will host a free snack bar webinar, Raising the Snack Bar: Exploring Growth Drivers, Innovations and Consumer Cravings, on July 26 at 11:30 AM CT.

From high-fat, moderate protein, ultra-low carb bars targeting keto fans, to the next generation of refrigerated bars, the snack bar panel will explore what’s happening in the snack bar space, which functional ingredients are trending, what consumers are looking for on the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredients list, and category differentiation in a saturated market.

Our expert panel includes: