Page 17 - Food&Drink Business magazine September 2022

SNACKS & CONFECTIONERY
Beneficial indulgence:
Brookfarm’s Prebiotic
Wholefood Bars combine functional ingredients with indulgent flavours.
recovery post exercise snack in a category widely dominated by energy bars .
Taste is still crucial regardless of the snack’s benefits. For example, fortified snack bars, like Brookfarm’s Prebiotic Wholefood Bar range, still feature indulgent and comforting flavour varieties chocolate and salted caramel.
PLANT-BASED OPTIONS CONTINUE TO SURGE Plant-based snacks are gaining momentum as consumers’ priorities shift towards products that are both better for health and the environment.
This is amplified by the shift to snacking more
frequently and therefore becoming a greater source of daily nutrition.
The demand for plant-based options is significantly increasing due to the perception they are better-for-you.
The perceived health benefits of plant-based alternatives include higher dietary fibre and lower saturated fat than conventional meat products. Nearly 57 per cent of Australian respondents to Euromonitor’s Voice of the Consumer: Health and Nutrition Survey said a mostly plant-based diet made them feel healthier.
Australians also gravitate towards plant-based options to improve fitness and strength,
with 41 per cent responding that they choose them for better speed and endurance.
As consumers look for more plant-based and healthier options, we see brands responding to meet demand. For example, Allen's has launched its first vegan lolly with Jubees, and Peters launched a vegan version of the iconic Drumstick.
OPPORTUNITY IN INDULGENCE
While better-for-you and plant-based categories may be strong performers, the pandemic also led Australians to seek small moments of indulgence in their snacking. This enabled innovation in new product developments like Calbee’s Melts potato chips with cheese, or newer formats of favourites, such as ice cream in bite-sized form like Ben & Jerry’s Peaces.
This trend has been further fuelled by ecommerce channel distribution growth of 3.1 per cent. Quick delivery services like Milkrun allow consumers
No one left behind: Peter’s launched a vegan version of the Drumstick.
to buy snacks outside of their regular shopping routines.
The diversity snacking, from health and wellness to indulgence, creates opportunities for new snack formats and varieties to thrive as well as potential for channel diversification. Understanding the Australian consumer’s needs and ability to adapt accordingly is crucial for brands to succeed. ✷
FOOD | BEVERAGE | DAIRY
• Implementing new technology for recyclable packaging
• Optimising flows and increasing efficiency
• Site performance assessments and health checks
• Waste reduction and yield optimisation
We work in greenfield & brownfield, processing and packaging projects, plant upgrade & efficiency improvements
Sustainable Manufacturing Solutions
www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Drink business | 17