Snack Food Rx

The term "snack" suggests different foods to different people. For some, it's a treat in the middle of the afternoon. For others, it's an energy booster, carrying them from one meal to the next. And for a growing number of Americans, snacks are their meals. In fact, in recent years, the distinction has blurred between what constitutes a meal and what represents a snack. This is so often the case that marketers have made efforts to boost the nutrition profiles of foods traditionally classified as snacks, or the four Cs -- candy, chips, cookies and crackers.

In addition, even when a snack food is simply consumed as a snack, the obesity-epidemic issue remains fresh on everyone's mind. Consequently, snack-food manufacturers are aggressively reformulating traditional snack foods, often replacing "taboo" components, such as saturated or trans fats, and refined sugar, with more healthful ingredients.

"Consumers today are very savvy when it comes to understanding the benefits of various nutritional enhancements in their food products," says Karen Holliday, marketing manager, Kerry Sweet Ingredients, Kerry North America, Beloit, WI.

Colleen Zammer, principal, food and beverage technology, TIAX LLC, Cambridge, MA, a product-development consulting group, says, "Food manufacturers are rebuilding foods so that they are more healthful. Our job is to help food manufacturers put foods back together so that they look like the original, but they are made up of better components."

For example, General Mills, Minneapolis, recently put 25% more fruit into its new Sunkist Fruit & Grain Bars. The three flavors and single gram of fat per serving make them "perfect for busy families looking for a wholesome snack or a convenient breakfast on-the-go," says Chris Brandt, marketing manager for wholesome grain snacks at General Mills. The new bars also feature seven vitamins and minerals and are an excellent source of calcium.

Maybe a little extreme, but yet an example of putting a healthful spin on a chocolate bar, NewTree USA Inc., San Francisco, combines quality Belgian chocolate with all-natural plant-derived ingredients to provide consumers with what the company describes as "functional flavors that excite the palate, promote health and titillate the mind and spirit." A variety of formulations include: "Pleasure," pure dark chocolate that is high in minerals and fiber; "Renew," dark chocolate, grapes and black currants that is rich in antioxidants; "Forgiveness," dark chocolate, lemon and a type of cactus fiber that helps metabolism and burns fat, the company says; and "Vigor," a stimulating blend of chocolate, coffee and guarana.

"Although the idea of healthful snack foods is not new, the range and variety of snacks with added nutrition is expanding," says Linda Chamberlain-Douglas, manager of scientific affairs, GTC Nutrition LLC, Golden, CO. "By carefully formulating with a few key ingredients, even items like candy and cookies can present healthy benefits. With such innovation, formulators can address the major health concerns of the day, such as obesity, bone health and diabetes, while catering to the consumer's desire to indulge.

"Fortunately, there are valuable options available to food manufacturers looking for ingredients to add a healthful edge to their snacks," says Chamberlain-Douglas. "Most importantly, the addition of the right nutritive ingredient(s) will still maintain the most critical component of a product: 'snacking appeal.'"

Holliday adds, "With the continuing rise in obesity concerns and the large boomer population, we foresee nutritional supplementation and enhancements to be expected by consumers and an important part of the criteria in many of their food choices."

Aware of this trend, companies are taking action. It has been reported that Kraft Foods Inc., Northfield, IL, is trying to remake Oreo cookies with less sugar, less fat and fewer calories. And Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, MI, says it may cut fat from various Keebler-branded cookies. Frito-Lay North America, Plano, TX, has replaced the trans fats in some of its chips, making the products trans-fat free. The company is also lowering carbohydrate levels in selected brands.

With two-thirds of Americans considered overweight or obese, reformulation is part of the industry's response to lawmakers, nutritionists and trial lawyers who say food companies deserve a super-size portion of the blame, according to Aaron Zitner, an editor with the Los Angeles Times.

Margo Wootan, a spokesperson for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, D.C., told Zitner in an L.A. Times article, "In some cases (reformulation) can make a big difference, changing a cookie from one that clogs the arteries to one that doesn't. It's a way to eat healthier that's about as easy as it gets, because you keep eating the same foods as before. They just won't be as bad for you."

If only it was as easy to reformulate snack foods as Wootan makes it sound. Most ingredients characterized as taboo these days originally were selected for a snack food formulation because they performed the best and produced the most-acceptable finished product. "When you take something out of a food, you change its whole character," says Zammer.

For example, Zammer and associates have been trying to develop a low-carbohydrate version of a fabricated potato chip, a snack food where crunch is crucial. Such chips should have a glassy, crispy texture that melts quickly in the mouth, she explains. "The crunch comes largely from the thin bubbles that arise on the surface of the formed potato chips when they are fried," she says. "With our first stab at the reformulation process, the resulting chips, which were baked, resembled small rubber pucks. They bent but did not snap, which meant there was too much moisture in the dough.

"The texture of a snack is incredibly important, which is why we're working on that first," she continues. "Once we get the crunch, we'll work on the flavor."

Zammer has been using soy protein to replace some of the carbohydrates in the chips. To obtain crunch, she says that her team will look at changing variables, such as the type of soy protein, the amount of fiber and even the cooking process. "Maybe the right crunch would come from cooking the snack with jets of hot air, not in a conventional oven," she says.

Fabricated potato chips are just one of many snack foods undergoing reformulation to reduce carbohydrate content. Most snack foods, particularly the four Cs, are based on carbohydrates. In today's carb-conscious society, there is somewhat of a race among snack food manufacturers as to which companies will best satisfy consumers' salty, crunchy craving and sweet tooth.

What's the big deal with carbohydrates? Well, chemically, carbohydrate molecules consist of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. However, physiologically, all carbohydrates are not created equal. The body responds to certain carbohydrates differently than others, and many believe that diets high in particular carbohydrates prevent one from losing and keeping-off weight.

Carbohydrates differ by glycemic index, which is a ranking on a scale from 0 to 100, depending on how much the carbohydrate raises blood sugar levels after consumption. The body rapidly digests and absorbs carbohydrates with a high-glycemic index, resulting in large fluctuations in blood-sugar levels. But carbohydrates with a low-glycemic index, such as fibers and polyols, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels.

Low-carb dieters make a point to limit high-glycemic carbohydrates, such as sugar and refined flour. To help these consumers differentiate between the types of carbohydrates in a product, many marketers make "net carb" statements on package labels. This term, though not legally defined, refers to the total amount of carbohydrates that negatively affect blood sugar and insulin (i.e., high glycemic) and is currently somewhat controversial. Although FDA has not issued guidelines as of this writing, according to an "FSIS Statement of Interim Policy on Carbohydrate Labeling Statements" (http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/larc/Policies/carblabel.htm), FSIS will not "object to terms such as 'Net Carbs,' 'Effective Carbs,' and 'Net Impact Carbs' when used in a manner that is truthful and not misleading. Because there are no regulatory definitions for these terms, they must be accompanied by specific information informing the consumer of the meaning of the use of such terms on labeling and providing the calculation necessary to determine the number of carbohydrates included by the term." Typically, companies that make "net carb" claims do so by subtracting the carbohydrate grams for dietary fiber and low-glycemic ingredients, such as polyols, from the total carbohydrates.

From a formulation standpoint, the most common approach to reduce these "net carbs" in snack foods is to replace some of the refined starches and sugars with fiber, polyols, high-intensity sweeteners and/or protein. "However, keep in mind that it's not that easy to replace ingredients. For example, fiber has formulation challenges in the amount of water it absorbs and the mouthfeel it imparts," concludes Zammer.

There are supporters of and opponents to so-called low-carb diets. Whether friend or foe, one thing effective low-carb dieting promotes is increased fiber intake for Americans. In general, most Americans today do not consume enough fiber because we eat too many overly refined foods and not enough whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

The U.S. National Academy of Science has established Dietary Reference Intakes for dietary fiber. For adult females, it is 25 grams per day and for males it is 38 grams per day. Unfortunately, in the past decade, median intakes have been about half of these for each gender. By choosing foods described as "low in net carbs," consumers can help bridge this gap.

"Because of the focus on heart-health and low-carb dieting, fiber has once again become a very popular nutritional enhancement," says Holliday. "Kerry makes numerous extruded grain products with various levels of fiber, as well as coatings for sweet snack foods with customizable fiber blends. These ingredients can add up to 25% more fiber to the product."

Boosting the fiber content of foods, particularly snack foods such as the four Cs, has traditionally not been very popular, or very easy. Most consumers fear fiber, thinking the product will resemble tree bark. And face it -- candy, chips, crackers and cookies are designed for enjoyment.

"Fiber is not very easy to add to extruded snacks. In fact, traditionally, an extruded snack could not contain more than 5% fiber before it became unappetizing," says Mian Riaz, head of the Extrusion Technology Program at the Food Protein R&D Center at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. "However, we have been able to increase the fiber content of extruded snack foods up to 20% through the use of finely ground soy fibers (more than 100 mesh) and extruder screw-configuration modification."

Riaz and other researchers at Texas A&M's Extrusion Technology Program work closely with extruded snack food manufacturers to reformulate as well as develop new snack foods. The university sponsors an annual practical short course called: Snack Foods Processing, Extruded Snacks and Tortilla Chips (www.tamu.edu/extrusion).

With increased interest by product developers in reducing the net carb contents of foods, and innovations from ingredient suppliers, snack foods manufacturers are able to seamlessly add fiber to their products.

Frito-Lay is rolling out a line of Doritos and Tostitos that claim to reduce total carbohydrates by 60% compared to the standard chips. Product developers used soy protein and fiber to create new Doritos Edge and Tostitos Edge. One serving of either contains a total of 6 grams net carbs, 10 grams protein and 3 grams of fiber. The traditional chips come in at 18 grams net carbs, 2 grams protein and 1 gram of fiber.

In some instances, adding fiber also lowers fat content, as certain fibers act as fat mimetics through their water-binding capabilities. For example, Cookie Garden, Des Plaines, IL, recently rolled out a new line of gourmet cookies made with Z-Trim, a patented, zero-calorie, fiber ingredient. This insoluble fiber derived from corn can be labeled as "corn bran fiber" or "corn fiber."

This fiber ingredient can lower calories and fat in a wide variety of foods including baked snacks and confections. Z-Trim was developed by USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), and is sold by FiberGel Technologies Inc., Mundelein, IL, a subsidiary of Circle Group Holdings Inc.

"Z-Trim can be used to replace up to 50% of the fat and calories, depending on the dilution of formula with water, and increase insoluble dietary fiber in a wide variety of formulated foods without changing their taste, texture and mouthfeel," says Triveni Shukla, vice president of technology at FiberGel. "One gram of the product can hold up to 9 grams of water, thus reducing formulation costs because water is free."

This fiber comes in three forms; a light-density white powder that stands alone or can include functional ingredients, an aqueous gel containing tailored solids content, and a functional emulsion.

"Z-Trim gels are structured dispersions of shear-thinning, thixotropic type and are available in different viscosity and gel-strength formats," says Shukla. "We recommend that a gel of similar consistency and viscosity be used as that of the product being formulated. We also recommend that a portion of water be taken out of the total product water -- moisture added from water, butter or egg, flour, or any other high-moisture ingredients -- in the formula and be used for the preparation of a fully hydrated gel."

The product competes for water with other ingredients, making full hydration very critical when designing low-moisture foods, such as baked snacks. Hydration time depends on a number of factors, including percent sugar, percent salt and other soluble electrolytes, percent Z-Trim solids, and mixing intensity. "A Z-Trim gel should always be prepared in part of the water separately and then mixed well with butter, margarine, oil or liquid egg," says Shukla. "Finally this gel and fats and oil blend should be incorporated into the food formula."

Just as there are many types of carbohydrates, many types of dietary fiber ingredients also exist. Most of these ingredients are derived from plants and are composed of materials categorized as insoluble or soluble. Currently no official legal definition of dietary fiber exists, (most in the industry use the dietary fiber definition established by the American Association of Cereal Chemists found at http://www.aaccnet.org/grainbin/definition dietaryfiber. asp), so when it comes to quantifying the fiber content of a food formulation, one must test for the specific fiber ingredients added.

Insoluble fiber may reduce the risk of digestive disorders, and has also been shown to lower the risk of developing certain cancers. Scientists theorize that insoluble fiber adds bulk to stool, which in turn dilutes carcinogens and speeds their transit through the lower intestine and out of the body. This same stool bulking hastens passage of fecal material through the gut, thus helping to prevent or alleviate constipation. Fiber also may help reduce the risk of diverticulosis, a condition in which small pouches form in the colon wall and become inflamed. Insoluble fiber ingredients are quite compatible with the sensory characteristics of chips, crackers, and other grain-based snack foods.

Fermentable soluble fibers confer some of the same benefits as insoluble fiber, but are thought to be gentler on the digestive system, through the activity of probiotic bacteria in the intestine.

Soluble fibers can trap dietary cholesterol and bile acids as they pass through the gastrointestinal tract, thus helping the body eliminate cholesterol and reduce blood cholesterol levels. This reduces the risk of heart disease. Soluble fiber also slows carbohydrate digestion and absorption. In theory, this may help prevent wide swings in blood sugar levels throughout the day and have an impact on the development of adult-onset diabetes.

One of the few fiber ingredients not plant-sourced -- polydextrose -- is one of the most frequently used low-glycemic carbohydrates for replacing high-glycemic carbohydrates. Polydextrose is a randomly bonded condensation polymer of dextrose containing small amounts of bound sorbitol and citric acid. It reduces calories by replacing sugar bulk and sometimes fat, and contributes fiber. One gram of this specialty carbohydrate contains a single calorie and is 90% fiber. An official AOAC method was validated a few years ago for determination of polydextrose (2000.11) in foods for labeling compliance. This value can be added to that obtained by AOAC 985.29 and 991.43 to determine total fiber.

"Litesse polydextrose is used in the development of many snack foods for the benefit of reducing calories, reducing sugar, reducing fat, reducing glycemic index and supplementing fiber content, while also providing functional properties such as improving shelf life and providing humectancy," says Donna Brooks, product manager with Danisco Sweeteners, Ardsley, NY. "It is also a prebiotic and is not digested in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Its digestion has been shown to increase the amount of beneficial microflora in the lower intestine and decrease the amount of undesirable bacteria. Studies have shown that fermentation of polydextrose by the beneficial bacteria leads to lower fecal pH, and production of important short-chain fatty acids, notably butyric acid, which may reduce cancer risk."

Although polydextrose possesses many of the functional properties of refined sugar, it is not sweet. "However, it is compatible with high-intensity sweeteners, allowing the sweetness of snack foods such as candies and cookies to be balanced," says Brooks. "Polydextrose helps reduce 'net impact carbs' while still maintaining texture and flavor. It also helps mask the off-notes that can result from the addition of better-for-you ingredients, such as soy protein, vitamins and minerals."

Indeed, adding fiber no longer entails sacrificing flavor or texture. "In fact, NutraFlora short-chain FOS (scFOS) is a prebiotic soluble fiber that can enhance the taste and texture of a wide variety of foods and add solid health benefits that cannot be achieved with conventional fiber," says Chamberlain-Douglas. "The list of health benefits that NutraFlora can give a product is quite impressive, including immune-system enhancement, increased mineral absorption, amplifying soy-isoflavone uptake and the support of a healthy cholesterol metabolism. These healthy attributes can be added to a diverse range of snack foods, from potato chips to granola bars, without limiting flavor or texture." NutraFlora, a single glucose unit linked with two to four fructose units, is produced from sucrose by a natural fermentation process, and contains only 1.5 calories per gram.

An all-natural fiber extracted from the bamboo plant, CreaFibe QC, or simply QC, is about 98.5% insoluble fiber with less than 0.2 calories per gram.

A primary application for this fiber is in extruded, baked snack foods. "When added to dough, cellulose fibers form complexes with starch molecules in the presence of moisture and heat," says Sara England, national business manager, CreaFill Fibers Corporation Chestertown, MD. "Better moisture control results in a dough that is less sticky. The result is increased extrusion rates and potential reduction in calories due to increased moisture retention."

While increasing fiber content, QC also helps reduce breakage in baked snack foods, such as pretzels and tortilla chips. England calls the ingredient "a pure vegetable fiber with no fat, calories or taste. Adding 1% to 4% QC to the dry mix can reduce breakage to as low as 1%. Because of QC's excellent moisture-absorbing qualities, you can produce a baked snack with more snap, less crumbling and one that stays fresher longer."

Resistant starch avoids digestion in the small intestine, but is instead fermented in the large intestine and acts like a dietary fiber. (See "Multifunctionality for Modified Starches," Food Product Design's May 2002 Design Elements by Ronald C. Deis, Ph.D., for more details about the classes of resistant starch available or food ingredient use.)

National Starch, Bridgewater, NJ, markets a line of resistant starches under the brands Hi-maize(TM) and Novelose®. "These products offer a range of health benefits that consumers are looking for including insoluble dietary fiber, lower glycemic response, lower net carbohydrates and lower calories," says Wendy Butterworth, technical service engineer, nutrition. "These ingredients also promote digestive health because they are prebiotic fibers. As such, they encourage the growth of health-promoting bacteria, helping reduce the number of harmful bacteria and promoting the production of butyrate, an important biomarker for digestive health."

Hi-maize 260, formerly Novelose 260, a patented natural cornstarch that labels as "dietary fiber," has application in baked snack foods, such as crackers. Novelose 330, which is labeled as "maltodextrin," works best in extruded snacks. It increases volume at the same time it boosts fiber content. Both ingredients are derived from corn, making them a natural for grain-based snack foods, because so many are based on corn.

"These resistant starches have a lower water-holding capacity as compared to many other insoluble fibers, making them easier to work with in snack-food batters," adds Butterworth. "And they are very bland. Our product-development work has shown that they can be added to any flour-based food, directly replacing flour up to 100% replacement. Depending on application and usage level a consumer may not notice the difference in taste or texture. When formulating lower-carb snack foods, we usually start out with a 50% replacement of the flour." She adds that, nutritionally "Hi-maize has high dose tolerance so you can offer high-fiber foods that won't disagree with your consumers."

Potato-based fiber ingredients also are naturals for snack foods. "About 10% wheat flour in a baked snack food formula is easily replaced with Paselli FP, a fiber ingredient based on potato skins," says JennieAnn Reitemeyer, food scientist II, Avebe America Inc., Princeton, NJ. Paselli FP consists of 49% insoluble fiber, 20% soluble fiber, 25% potato starch, 6% protein, minerals and water. It has a light-beige to brown appearance, which gives most snack foods a wholesome, natural appearance.

"Potato starch generally increases expansion in snack foods, as compared to wheat flours," Reitemeyer adds. "So you can replace the flour up to 30% in sheeted crackers and still get a light, crispy texture with great expansion or rise."

ARS researchers have identified a means to add fiber to extruded snacks through a patent-pending technology they call "invisible fiber." The resulting snack product is comparable in texture and mouthfeel to snacks in the marketplace that do not contain fiber.

The technology uses dairy proteins, such as whey or casein, to envelop the fiber, which prevents it from soaking up water from the product. "The protein barrier makes the fiber invisible to water," says Charles Onwulata, USDA food technologist at the Eastern Regional Research Center's Dairy Processing and Products Research Unit, Wyndmoor, PA, "The fiber doesn't pull moisture out of the rest of the food product.

"But the 'invisible fiber' envelope will dissolve during digestion, allowing the fiber to perform its normal function in the gut," Onwulata adds. "Reducing the water-holding capacity of the fiber improves food quality and allows more fiber to be added without changing product texture."

This technology has many snack-food applications, including corn puffs, cheese curls and energy bars. Typically, these snacks contain less than 1 gram of fiber per 50 grams of product. By adding invisible fiber, fiber content can be increased to 15 grams. There's also a hidden perk: the dairy proteins used to envelop the fiber provide added value in the form of high-quality protein.

The reality is, when a food product designer reduces carbohydrates -- any type of carbohydrate -- in a food formulation, it increases the levels of other macronutrients. Because many consumers still try to manage fat intake, the component most likely to be increased is protein. Therefore, many lower-carb foods tend to be high-protein foods, too.

"Dairy ingredients are an excellent choice for boosting protein levels in snack foods," says Kimberlee "KJ" Burrington, dairy ingredients applications program coordinator of the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research (WCDR) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "Dairy ingredients are attractive to food formulators because there are so many options. You can select a dairy ingredient that is high or low in protein, with or without lactose, and with varying levels of fat, or no fat at all."

"Dairy ingredients are a complete nutritional package," says Burrington. "In addition to protein, they contain vitamins and minerals, particularly levels of calcium."

Riaz says, however, "The problem with adding protein to extruded snack foods is that the protein makes it difficult for the snack to expand. The result is a chewy, rubbery chip."

ARS researchers have identified a patent-pending process that uses a twin-screw extruder to make crunchy extruded snacks with whey proteins. By using whey, the process increases protein in expanded snacks, such as corn puffs, cheese curls and energy bars, from the traditional average of about 2% to up to 35%.

Most crunchy snacks are made from high-starch products such as corn flour, according to Onwulata. An extruder, consisting of a long, heated barrel with two mixing screws inside, cooks the starch as the screws mix and push it through the machine to form the snack food. The crunchiness depends on the moisture content and temperature as the snack leaves the extruder. Onwulata and other ARS researchers wanted to improve the nutritional profile of puffed snack foods by extruding corn flour with concentrated forms of whey. At first, however, they found that whey, in the highly concentrated ingredient form of whey protein isolate, reduced the crunchiness, color and texture of extruded snack foods. According to Onwulata, they were able to change the temperature and moisture in the extruder, so that the whey protein isolate blended well with corn flour to make crunchier snacks.

At the Food Protein R&D Center at Texas A&M University, Riaz and his research team successfully increased protein levels in extruded snacks by using Nu-Rice from Ribus Inc., St. Louis, MO. This rice-bran-based ingredient contains a high amount of protein with a complete essential amino-acid profile.

Potato proteins can also boost protein levels. "Potato proteins are separated from the starch, then denatured and dried," says Reitemeyer. "The resulting ingredient is a highly nutritive powder originally manufactured for use in animal feed. But now with all the interest in increasing the protein levels of foods, we have found that the ingredient works well in a variety of grain-based foods including snacks foods, particularly baked potato-style crackers and reformulated chips."

Proteins can also improve the nutritional profile of sweet snack foods. For example, with funding from America's dairy farmers through Rosemont, IL-based Dairy Management Inc.(TM) (DMI), WCDR researchers have developed a high-protein fruit-leather snack. With more than 80% fruit and 5% protein, the strawberry fruit leather makes a healthier alternative to its commercial cousins on the grocery-store shelves. The DMI fruit-leather formulation uses a blend of naturally sweet applesauce and strawberries. It also delivers 40% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.

"Snacks like the fruit leather have always been perceived by parents as healthier than candies such as lollipops or chocolate bars," says Burrington. "Now, DMI has packed the power of protein into a fruit leather, offering a healthy alternative for families on the go."

DMI also funded development work at the California Dairy Products Technology Center, California Polytechnic State University (CDPTC), San Luis Obispo, to make a protein-enriched brownie without added sucrose. The brownie provides a clear health benefit compared to current low-carb brownies in the marketplace, as it contains 4 grams of dairy proteins per serving; this is equivalent to the protein in one-half cup of milk.

"By listening to the marketplace and seeking out a solution, we are able to create a brownie with a chocolate, sweet flavor but fortified with whey protein and nonfat dry milk," says Carolyn Podgurski, dairy ingredient specialist for CDPTC. The formula contains 9.8% whey protein concentrate and 2.3% nonfat dry milk. Not only do these ingredients provide the brownie with high-quality protein, the whey protein concentrate imparts a smooth mouthfeel, aids in emulsification and provides stability. The nonfat dry milk delivers flavor and increases structural strength.

Whey proteins are frequently used in energy bars. Today, many consumers view energy bars as a healthful snack alternative to candy bars. "This is rather easy to do when bars taste as an indulgent as the recently introduced Detour bar," says Burrington.

The Detour bar is manufactured and marketed by Next Proteins, Carlsbad, CA. At 310 calories and 10 grams of fat, Detour bars combine peanuts, caramel and chocolate flavor to supply 30 grams of protein, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 140 mg of calcium and 150 mg potassium.

Shortly after the introduction of Detour, the company launched its second protein bar, named U-Turn. U-Turn blends caramel and chocolate flavor and providesprotein a similar nutritional profile. Most recently, the company formulated a third indulgent protein bar called Oneway, which is designed to satisfy the taste buds of peanut butter lovers. Oneway, a combination of smooth peanut butter, caramel, roasted peanuts, chocolate flavor and whey protein supplies 340 calories, 12 grams of fat, 1 gram of dietary fiber and 30 grams of protein.

St. Paul, MN-based Protient Inc., a manufacturer of various whey and soy protein ingredients, has developed "crispie-style" ingredients that can be used to add a crunch to a variety healthful snacks, particularly bars. A proprietary extrusion process maintains the nutritional value of the proteins while providing mouthfeel and texture. The company offers Whey Protein Crisp 50 and Crisp 50 Whey+Soy. Whey Protein Crisp 50 contains 50% whey proteins, while Crisp 50 Whey+Soy combines whey protein isolate and non-GMO soy protein isolate.

"This product's unique combination of high-quality dairy and plant proteins provides a well-balanced amino-acid profile," says Steve Rittmanic, Protient's director of product development. "These membrane-filtered protein isolates taste so good they make a great healthy snack all by themselves."

As mentioned earlier, Frito-Lay has replaced the hydrogenated trans-fatty acid oils in some of its chips with trans-fatty acid-free oils, making the chips trans-fat free. More snack food manufacturers are sure to follow this example, because many chips are fried in trans-containing partially hydrogenated oils for oxidative stability. Trans fats concern all food manufacturers because on Jan. 1, 2006, the FDA will require all Nutrition Facts labels to itemize and quantify a food's trans-fat content.

"In response to this need, ADM has developed its NovaLipid line of zero/low trans-fat alternatives for formulators," says Michael Rath, senior marketing manager for ADM Specialty Oils and Fats, Decatur, IL. "The NovaLipid line offers functionality, stability and health benefits to a number of food systems including snack foods and confections."

To improve trans-fat declarations on food labels, food formulators are evaluating a variety of new oils, many of which result from innovative and carefully controlled, non-transgenic oilseed breeding programs that attempt to increase monounsaturated fatty-acid levels while lowering levels of highly unstable linolenic acid. These include low-linolenic canola, high-oleic canola, high-oleic sunflower, mid-oleic sunflower, low-linolenic soybean and high-oleic soybean seeds that yield specialty oils that do not require hydrogenation for commercial frying applications -- one of the harshest tests of oil's stability.

Mid-oleic sunflower oil works exceptionally well in fried snack-food applications. In fact, since 2000, Procter & Gamble (P&G), Cincinnati, has been using NuSun mid-oleic sunflower oil to manufacture Pringles® potato crisps. P&G determined that the mid-oleic sunflower oil offered clean flavor attributes and a lower saturated fat content than other oils evaluated. (USDA developed mid-oleic sunflower oil using standard breeding techniques, and various industrial-oil suppliers have sold it as a commodity oil since 1999.) It also met all the company's requirements for shelf life, total polar compounds, oleic content, process reliability and overall stability. On average, mid-oleic sunflower oil contains about 9% saturated fat, 65% monounsaturated fat (oleic acid) and 26% polyunsaturated fat (mostly linoleic acid).

"Having only a trace of linolenic acid, this mid-oleic sunflower oil does not require hydrogenation, eliminating any concerns over trans fats in baked and fried foods," says Kristen Ciuba, a nutritionist working with the National Sunflower Association, Bismarck, ND. "In fact, NuSun is what Frito-Lay is using in its 'Natural' line, as well as in SunChips."

Fruits and nuts for nutrition Adding fruits and nuts to snack foods -- both sweet snacks such as trail mixes, candies and cookies, as well as chips and crackers -- is becomingly increasingly popular to capture part of the "healthful halo" associated with these natural ingredients.

Fruits, particularly berries, cherries and raisins, are good sources of phenolics, powerful antioxidants associated with reduced risk of heart disease and cancer.

"California raisins are a natural for snacks and snack foods since they are, after all, nature's original candy and one of the world's most-nutritious dried fruits," says Jeannette Ferrary of Thomas J. Payne Market Development, a spokesperson for the California Raisin Marketing Board, San Francisco. "Cholesterol free, low in sodium, high in fiber and virtually fat-free, raisins provide many necessary vitamins and minerals, including iron and potassium."

"Raisin paste is a great way to add the nutrition of raisins to snack foods such as bars," Ferrary adds. "Raisin paste acts as a sweetener, humectant, flavor enhancer and binder. It is also used as a fat replacer in many products and can be used in applications where the presence of fruit particulate is not needed."

Tom Payne, president of Thomas J. Payne Market Development, and spokesperson for the U. S. Highbush Blueberry Council, San Francisco, says that food product developers realize an economic advantage when they incorporate blueberries into snacks.   "To begin with, there is the rather curious but undeniable appeal of blue foods. Although many of them have nothing to do with blueberries, the trendiness of blue as a food color has made blueberries very desirable."

The health aspects of blueberries have enhanced the blue fruit's popularity with nutrition-conscious baby boomers, as blueberries are claimed to possess anti-aging properties and prevent various age-related diseases. "For example, Prevention magazine (Jan. 2004) ran an article entitled 'Blueberries Outsmart Alzheimer's,'" says Payne. "The article goes on to say that blueberries contain an antioxidant that may help prevent the genetic disposition to contacting Alzheimer's disease."

Nuts, too, are increasing their presence in today's snack-food formulas, in addition to being recognized as a healthful alternative snack food on their own. Nuts provide crunch and flavor, and since July 2003, can carry an FDA qualified health claim: Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. This claim includes tree nuts as well as peanuts.

Interestingly, research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Feb. 2004), shows that a higher-unsaturated-fat, peanut-rich, weight-loss diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 14% compared to baseline, whereas a low-fat diet does not. Penny Kris-Etherton, principal investigator and distinguished professor of nutrition at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, says, "In this study, the peanut-rich, higher-unsaturated-fat diet resulted in favorable heart-health benefits. The low-fat group, in contrast, lowered the 'good' high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and showed a rebound in triglycerides during weight maintenance."

In general, consumers view nuts as healthful, so adding them to snack foods provides value. In fact, in a recent study, 78% of consumers agreed that a product containing almonds is better nutritionally, and 64% said it was worth more money, according to the Almond Board of California, Modesto, CA.

"When it comes to nuts and the antioxidant vitamin E, almonds are at the top of the list," according to Rachel Hermansader, Ketchum, and a spokesperson for the Almond Board of California. "A single ounce of almonds provides 35% of the recommended daily value of this important antioxidant."

These are some of the many healthful ingredient options to choose from when formulating snack foods. Some of these ingredients can be added on top of current formulations, while others are designed to replace "taboo" components. Today's nutrition-savvy consumers read labels. Make sure that when they read your snack food's label they wind up purchasing the product.

Donna Berry, president of Chicago-based Dairy & food Communications, Inc., a network of professionals in business-to-business technical and trade communications, has been writing about product development and marketing for 9 years. Prior to that, she worked for Kraft Foods in the natural-cheese division. She has a B.S. in food science from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She can be reached at [email protected].