Attack of the New Snack Seasonings

America’s first commercial snack foods were peanuts and popcorn, which were affordable, edible, portable and—well— salty. But the market is undergoing a transformation.

The Snack Food Association (SFA), Arlington, VA, reports the U.S. salty snack market topped $25.6 billion in retail sales in 2006, a 4.3% increase over 2005. Christopher Clark, vice president of operations and membership, SFA, says the packaged salty snack category includes potato chips; tortilla chips; other chips, e.g. corn, multigrain, pita; pretzels; cheese puffs and curls; ready-to-eat (RTE) and microwave popcorn; nuts and seeds; trail mix; and pork rinds.

The biggest trend in snack foods today is that everyone thinks they are playing in that market, according to Tom Rieman, senior business manager, cheese solutions, Kraft Food Ingredients, Memphis, TN. “Marketers are positioning anything that can be eaten on-the-go as a snack, whether it be a banana, cookie, chips, beverage, candy, power bar or even a drive-thru offering from a quick-serve restaurant,” he says.

Movers and salt shakers

Research and Markets, Dublin, Ireland, expects growth in the U.S. salty snack market will be fueled primarily by the potato chip, tortilla chip, nuts and corn snacks segments—all projected to increase by more than 20% through 2008. The market growth is driven by the following direct factors and incidental influencers:

Convenience. Location, location, location. C-stores, supermarkets, specialty stores, vending machines, concessions and cafeterias all serve as purchasing points for the grab-and-go consumer.

Quality. “It’s the best it has ever been,” says Jean Bosenbecker, R&D manager, snack foods, Kerry Savory Ingredients, Waukesha, WI. “In-store brands have improved quality over just five years ago. Some store brands can go head-to-head with the national brands, and that says a lot about the regional snack manufacturers.”

Additionally, premiumization is spurring growth in the top two categories—potato chips and tortilla chips—according to Michelle Peterman, vice president of marketing, Kettle Foods, Salem, OR. Specifically, she says, ACNielsen, New York, reports premium potato chips represent $300 million, growing at a rate of 17%, compared with traditional potato chips that remain flat but stable at $2.6 billion.

Flavor innovation. All-natural and organic ingredients, and higher-quality oils, also feed the premiumization of salty snacks. Some of the latest flavor trends include layered, combined, spicy, ethnic, bold, upscale savory, herb- and vegetable-infused, and the use of sea salts, salt modi- fiers, internal/inclusion seasonings, and novel, but familiar, combinations borrowed from other categories.

Product variations. Multicolored packaging, eyecatching graphics and products in unusual shapes are popular, especially when trying to attract teens and their purchase dollars, according to Bosenbecker. Packaging size also establishes preferences in the form of 100-calorie packs, big grabs, jumbo bags, tins and buckets.

Dietary concerns. Snack manufacturers are increasingly offering healthier products, such as those formulated with lower sodium and sugar, low carbs, less fat and zero trans fats. They are baking vs. frying, and are turning to all-natural, organic, whole-grain or high-fiber ingredients. Scaling back with a 100-calorie pack enforces portion control.

So long sodium?

“Product testing results are unanimous that salt sprinkled on a snack tastes better,” says Reid Wilkerson, president and CEO, McClancy Seasonings, Fort Mill, SC.

Product developers customarily experiment with two granulations in seasonings—fine salt and flour salt. “Fine salt will melt in your mouth a little slower and give a later impact. Flour salt, which is very fine, will melt right away to give an up-front, savory impact to the flavor profile,” notes Bosenbecker. Sometimes, the two are combined to obtain a unique savory taste in the seasoning blend.

But, sodium content is becoming an important issue in the food industry. “With salt being the major contributor of sodium in snacks, the opportunity exists for significant sodium reduction,” offers Rieman. “In an industry increasingly focusing on health and wellness, we are fortunate in that there are a lot of alternatives to salt on the market today.” But, be warned, salt alternatives usually come with increased cost and decreased flavor impact.

Sea salt might be the answer in some applications. “The amount of sodium is slightly reduced in sea salt, providing a different flavor profile and texture acceptable to some tastes,” says Bill Rauh, seasoning product development manager, McCormick & Co., Hunt Valley, MD. The presence of other compounds also affects the taste.

Some solutions for reducing sodium, according to Rieman, include cutting back on the amount of salt in a formulation; coupling potassium chloride with a bitter blocker to mask the undesirable flavor notes; or substituting salt or MSG (another source of sodium) with yeast and yeast extract. Some of the best results combine salt alternatives with lower salt levels, as opposed to total salt replacement.

Rauh adds that many flavorful ingredients—for example, chiles, garlic, ginger, onion and pepper—can change a snack’s flavor perception, excite the taste buds and reduce the need for salt.

Study supports health

The industry is experiencing a surge in the creation and consumption of healthier snacks.

“Seventy-eight percent of consumers are trying to eat healthier,” says Sally Lyons Wyatt, senior vice president, Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), Chicago. “And 66% are trying to eat snacks with nutritional values, while 57% are trying to snack less.” Wyatt says there are significant opportunities in product development and targeted marketing for focusing on health and wellness, taste and variety. A recent IRI report also indicates that light or low-calorie products are consumed more frequently than their “regular” counterparts.

Wilkerson identifies all-natural and organic as leading trends in the salty-snack category. The segments of all-natural and organic started out small, he says, but have ramped up through the use of customer-accepted flavor alternatives. Some interesting all-natural profiles are vegetable-, herb- or fruit-based, including: sweet potato and beet, black bean, sesame, blue potato, wasabi-ginger, lemon-pepper, lime, sundried tomato and pesto, parmesan, garlic and olive oil.

Oil changes

Oils for snacks have been a hot topic for more than a decade. Fats modify flavor release and carryover in foods, and provide viscosity and full mouthfeel. Fat can also be an important requirement for seasoning adherence to snacks. Baked products serve as an alternative to fried products, and can considerably reduce fat in a 1-oz. serving. Baked tortilla chips, for example, have 120 calories and 30 grams of fat vs. fried chips with 150 calories and 70 grams of fat.

“The healthier ‘good-for-you’ type of snacks are migrating away from trans fats, sodium and sugars,” says Rauh, admitting that healthier versions can present somewhat of a challenge in delivering seasoning to the base product.

“What we see in the industry is the growth of what we call the presence of positives and the absence of negatives,” says Peterman. “Many brands, for example, are improving the quality of the oils that are used in snacks. Correlating with that trend, brands are also improving their profile on hydrogenated oils and saturated fats.”

Plant-derived and healthy seed oils, such as sunflower, saffl ower, sesame, soybean, flax and canola, are becoming more prevalent in mass production of salty snacks. Other oils that are showing up on labels include rice bran, cottonseed, olive oil, peanut and certified organic types.

Flavor favorites

Looking at sales volume, the consumer has determined certain “traditional” flavors go with certain snacks— cheese for extruded puffs or curls, nacho for tortilla chips, barbecue for potato chips. “Clearly, the opportunity exists for taking products in new directions, such as sweet seasonings for traditional salty snacks,” offers Rieman.

Base is an important factor in developing flavor profiles for snacks. For instance, puff snacks’ mild base responds nicely to cheese, heat and sweet seasonings. Tortilla and multi-grain chips have a strong base and can handle flavor blasts, such as ranch, fiery Buffalo, spinach and artichoke, zesty pizza, smoky chipotle cheese and black pepper jack.

Consumer research, preference mapping, bench top screening, discrimination tests, alternate vendor qualification, shelf life, traditional descriptive panels, on site training, lexicon and training module development, beverage alcohol testing and more.

“Seasonings for tortilla chips do not always transfer over to potato chips,” says Bosenbecker. Because tortillas and multigrains are stronger in flavor, the base has a slightly stronger overall profile. Potato chips taste better with traditional topical seasonings such as barbecue, sour cream and onion, and the trendier dill pickle, salt and pepper, and olive oil and herb.

Bosenbecker says, while flavor rules, appearance has gained respect, as visuals like parsley or small flecks of spices “complete the eating experience.”

Hitting a flavor home run

The choice of base for its all-natural potato chip is a major consideration for Kettle Foods. The Kettle brand uses the russet potato, because of its high natural sugar content and distinct color and shape. “The russet offers true ‘baked’ potato flavor and beautiful amber color and individuality to each chip,” says Carolyn Richards, senior technical manager, Kettle Foods. Once cooked, the sugar in the russet potato caramelizes, resulting in a rich potato taste and a darker-colored potato chip.

Spicy flavors dominate Kettle Foods’ product development efforts. Recent flavor successes include spicy Thai, Buffalo bleu cheese and Tuscan three cheese potato chips. Today’s snack consumer will try just about any seasoning on any snack base, notes Bosenbecker. However, “the seasoning flavor has to be balanced for consumers to buy the product more than once,” she says.

Wilkerson adds: “People will buy things that are novel, but have a familiar ring and go together.” Combining flavors continues to inspire or interest consumers in trying new products. He advises product developers to look at what’s popular in foodservice and try it on a snack. What about corned beef and onion, Coney Island hot dog, or beefsteak and onion seasoning on a chip? “You’ve got a winner if it teases your senses and tastes good,” he says.

For another option Kraft Food Ingredients offers savory seasonings that deliver a meaty profile or a cooking flavor, such as grill, roast or sauté, that can be used to take traditional snack products to new levels. “Now a chip can taste like it was dipped in the juices of a grilled steak instead of being dipped in barbecue sauce,” says Rieman.

Every bite counts

Product consistency and even flavor distribution contribute to the snacking experience, bite after bite. Thankfully, some very helpful application equipment on the market delivers consistency. “Application equipment can apply what is called two-phase, which is dry seasoning, and also oil slurry in the same tumbler,” says Bosenbecker.

Some applications pose more challenges than others. Dry-blended topical seasonings, coatings and powders are commonly used on chips with surface oils. Slurries serve the processing needs for extruded products such as cheese puffs and more.

In traditional salty snacks, such as cheese popcorn or extruded cheese snacks, codrying all the cheese powder ingredients together increases quality by marrying the flavors together. “The same ingredients, if dry blended, will not taste the same,” says Rieman. He uses the analogy of homemade spaghetti sauce: “When you first make the sauce, you can identify the oregano, tomato, basil, pepper and garlic as distinct components. The flavors are balanced and form a nice composition. However, when you taste that same sauce the next day, the flavors are married; you can taste the elements but not as distinct components, and that symphony of flavor is even better than when it was first put together.”

Putting a topical or slurry seasoning on a pretzel can be tricky because of its slick outer coating. Irregularly shaped products can be fun to work with, as their many nooks and crannies enhance flavor adhesion. Kettle Foods celebrates the nonuniformity of its potato chip. The look of rustic and handcrafted is key, and the fold-overs on the chip create extra crunch and hidden seasoning surprises.

Small indulgences

Does health have a chance with indulgence in the opposing corner? Indulgence equals pleasure, and a number of ingredients are purposely used in snacks to “play to the crave.” Salt is one, for sure. “We discovered an interesting perception when we ran a sensory test on a snack,” says Bosenbecker. “One item was loaded with salt, the other had a moderate amount of salt with a very good flavor impact—actually more flavor than the first item. The high-salt, low-flavor item won in the sensory testing. Why? Because frequent snack consumers like salt.” She also lists dairy-based ingredients, such as cheese, sour cream and buttermilk ranch, as indulgences in the salty snack category.

Cheese pleases, and Americans are buying it, with per capita consumption rising to over 31 lbs., up from 27 lbs. just a decade earlier, according to Rieman. “Cheese is indulgent because it is rich and flavorful and makes common foods like steamed vegetables, pasta, rice or potatoes into something extraordinary.” This goes for packaged snacks, too.

Indulgence might be difficult to identify. “I wouldn’t say there is a magic formula for indulgence,” offers Richards, “because different consumers want different things.” She says a flavor has to satisfy and not fatigue the tongue. It’s almost an oxymoron; you want more, but in moderation. One way to confirm indulgence is to discontinue a product that consumers are passionate about—then you know ...when they come screaming for it.

Peterman adds that consumer needs, moods, usage occasion and household dynamics contribute to eating more of the same snack. “I think the goal is to strike a good balance between traditional favorites and innovative or unusual flavors,” she says.

Deb North, freelance food writer, marketing consultant, and recent graduate of LeCordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, can be emailed at [email protected]