With the popularization of healthy ingredients, snacks are no longer just to satisfy hunger and hunger, but as a functional food, it has become a convenient way to obtain nutrition ingredients outside of three meals. At present, functional snacks are in the stage of transforming from "pan-function" to "burden reduction" and "strong benefits", with more subdivided functions to accurately respond to the demands of different consumers.

Data company SPINS recently released a report on the functional snacks market in the United States. protein, ginger, coconut oil, probiotics, turmeric and other ingredients have become the fastest growing ingredients in functional snacks in 2020. Concentrated fish oil, guarana, cocoa extract , Soybeans and other ingredients have declined significantly.

Protein becomes the fastest growing functional snack ingredient

According to the latest data released by SPINS, protein is undoubtedly the most popular ingredient in the functional snack market. Whether it is animal protein or plant protein, it will show an amazing growth rate in 2020. Among the top ten ingredients in functional snacks sales growth rate, whey protein & egg protein ranked first, with a growth rate of 412%. In addition, other animal protein, pea protein, and other plant proteins also ranked in the top ten, mainly used Used in meal replacements, sports nutrition and oral beauty snacks.

Vital Proteins Collagen Bars uses allulose as a sweetener. Each stick contains 20 grams of total protein, of which 15 grams are collagen.

Functional ingredients such as ginger and turmeric are recognized

Ginger and turmeric ranked second and ninth respectively in the rankings. In particular, functional snacks containing ginger ingredients increased sales by 323% last year. Among herbs, ginger not only imparts a spicy flavor to food, but also has multiple functions such as enhancing immunity, assisting digestion, warming the body, and protecting joints, so it is welcomed by consumers. According to Market Research Future, the compound annual growth rate of the global ginger extract market is expected to be 5.1%, reaching US$1.332 billion by 2025. Firmenich Flavors and Fragrances also listed ginger as the best flavor of 2021, saying that the popularity of ginger has grown steadily in the past ten years, and it is expected that ginger may be applied to many innovative foods within three years. Compared at home and abroad, domestic ginger-flavored snacks are mainly traditional foods such as ginger candies, while abroad are mainly gingerbread, in addition to ginger chips, chocolate, energy bars and other categories.

Although the sales of turmeric-containing supplements fell by 14.6% last year, turmeric is still a very popular ingredient in general foods. According to Innova Market Insights market data, from 2014 to 2018, the global launch of turmeric-containing foods and beverages increased at an annual rate of 11%, and the number of new snacks and beverages is increasing significantly.

Snacks containing probiotics grow steadily

Sales of snacks containing probiotic ingredients increased by 62% last year. According to a latest report by Market Research Future, from 2019 to 2025, the average annual compound growth rate of the global probiotic preparation market will reach 8.48%, which is estimated to be as high as US$3.26 billion, of which approximately US$1.75 billion will be used for functionality Food and beverages. In addition to traditional intestinal health, immune enhancement and other functions, more and more consumers are beginning to use probiotic products to support memory, skin health and emotional relaxation. At present, most of the bacteria used in probiotic snacks are Bacillus coagulans BC30. Its strong stability can withstand the complex processing conditions of snacks and reach the intestinal tract alive.

Ketogenic-friendly snacks become a new trend

In the ranking list, snacks containing coconut oil and MCT are ranked third and fifth respectively. These two ingredients are mainly used for ketogenic-friendly snacks. The ketogenic diet is a diet that consumes a large amount of fat, a small amount of protein, and a very small amount of carbohydrates. It metabolizes fat to produce ketone bodies, which are another source of body energy. The ketogenic diet was originally used to treat refractory epilepsy in children, but it is now used as a way to lose weight.

In 2018, the global ketogenic food market was US$970 million. According to market research forecasts by The Insight Partners, by 2027, the compound annual growth rate of the ketone market will reach 5.5%, reaching US$1.564 billion, of which snacks and beverages will become The most important category of ketogenic products.

HighKey mini biscuits are made of natural ingredients such as almond flour, coconut oil and collagen. They use natural sweeteners and only 2g of net carbon water per serving. They are a ketogenic-friendly snack.

Pea protein will replace soy protein?

Unlike soy protein, which is showing a downward trend, pea protein has become the only plant protein ingredient in the top ten sales growth. Soy is a common allergen, which can easily lead to allergies. Coupled with the massive use of genetically modified soybeans, consumers have negative feelings about soybeans. Pea, which is not genetically modified, has complete amino acids, and is not easily sensitized, has undoubtedly become the best raw material to replace soybeans. The characteristics of easy processing and simulating the texture of meat also make peas the main raw material for plant meat.

According to data from Allied Market Research, the global market for pea protein is expected to grow to US$176 million by 2025. At the same time, Innova Market Insights data shows that between January 2016 and December 2018, the annual growth rate of food and beverages containing pea protein was 19%.

Start-up food brand Plant Camp and Creatd have launched healthy macaroni and cheese, made from organic brown rice, pea protein and carrots.

Summary

Snacks with Functional ingredients are the trend of future snacks development. Mondelez Snacks Report 2019 shows that 72% of global consumers consider the nutrition and health benefits of products when choosing snacks, and 83% of Chinese consumers said: "My choice of snacks reflects my pursuit of a healthy life ( Exceeding the global average by 16%).

The "2020 Functional Snacks Innovation Trend" released by Tmall also shows that the growth rate of Tmall's functional snacks market in 2020 will reach 40%, and the number of purchasers will increase by 50%. Among them, "burdenless" snacks and "fitness meal replacement" scenarios are the main Demand track, in addition to gastrointestinal regulation, calcium supplementation, vision protection, whitening skin care and other trends. Functional snacks are becoming a new way for consumers to obtain nutrition and pursue health, and become a strong competitor of health foods.