Healthy Snacking - US

Published by: Mintel International Group Ltd.

Published: Feb. 1, 2008 - 123 Pages

Table of Contents

Scope and Themes

What you need to know

Definition

Figure 1: Foods eaten as healthy snacks, December 2007

Data sources and methodology

Sales data

Consumer survey data

Methodology

Figure 2: Usage of nuts/seeds as a snack and as a “healthy” snack, 2007

Abbreviations and terms

Abbreviations

Terms

Executive Summary

Broad-based government action key to long-term healthy snacking growth

Competition is growing for healthy snacks

Segmentation reveals struggle between eating what you want and eating right

Segment overview

Factors impacting healthy snack sales

Frito-Lay and Kellogg’s differentiate brands

Less healthy snacks drive innovation

Marketing healthy snacks

Healthy snacks demonstrate healthy frequency of use

What’s important to consumers—the plus/minus factor

Taste and satisfaction reign supreme

Healthy snacks for kids

Competitive Context

A complex competitive market

Foodservice vying for its share of the snack market

Segment Performance

Key points

Portion-control packaging implies healthy snack

Adding functional benefit to elevate health association

Healthy snackers desire full flavor

Figure 3: Selected foods used as healthy snacks, by FDM sales and percentage of use, 2007

Segment Performance—Nuts and Seeds

Key points

Nuts rank high on healthy snacking scale—opportunities remain to add value with flavor and packaging applications

Figure 4: Usage of nuts/seeds as a snack and as a “healthy” snack, 2007

Segment Performance—Dried Fruit and Fruit Snacks

Key points

Dried fruit is innately healthy and convenient

Fruit snacks operate from a less healthy platform

Figure 5: Usage of dried fruit and fruit snacks as a snack and as a “healthy” snack, 2007

Segment Performance—Yogurt

Key points

Strong alignment between yogurt and health—opportunity to improve association as a snack food

Figure 6: Usage of yogurt as a snack and as a “healthy” snack, 2007

Segment Performance—Rice Cakes

Key points

Rice cakes may be healthy, but scope of users is limited

Figure 7: Usage of rice cakes as a snack and as a “healthy” snack, 2007

Segment Performance—Trail Mix

Key points

Trail mix is a go-to snack with a healthy proposition—but could be at risk

Figure 8: Usage of trail mix as a snack and as a “healthy” snack, 2007

Segment Performance—Snack Bars

Key points

Varied offerings discount healthy image

Focus on nutrition

Figure 9: Usage of snack bars* as a snack and as a “healthy” snack, 2007

Segment Performance—Popcorn

Key points

Merging health with RTE convenience to build popcorn’s healthy snack image

Figure 10: Usage of popcorn as a snack and as a “healthy” snack, 2007

Segment Performance—Cheese

Key points

Promoting cheese as a snack food

Figure 11: Usage of cheese as a snack and as a “healthy” snack, 2007

Segment Performance—Pretzels

Key points

Add health value to pretzels and give flavor a kick

Figure 12: Usage of pretzels as a snack and as a “healthy” snack, 2007

Segment Performance—Potato/Corn Chips

Key points

Chips rank low as a healthy snack—baked, reduced fat, 100-calorie packs and healthier oil increase nutritional stance

Figure 13: Usage of potato/corn chips as a snack and as a “healthy” snack, 2007

Market Drivers

Broad-based government action key to long-term healthy snacking growth

Hold the fat! No significant change in adult obesity rates

Children continue to battle the bulge

Figure 14: Attributes important to choosing snack for children, December 2007

Scientific research fuels consumers’ perception of what is healthy

Selected Brand Analysis—Nuts/Seeds

Key points

Contemporary flavors increase appeal by offering variety to snackers

Figure 15: Selected FDM brand sales of nuts/seeds in the U.S., 2006 and 2007

Explicitly targeting health-minded consumers with NUT-rition line and single-serve packaging

Blue Diamond is successful with BOLD flavors; Emerald offers sweet and savory

Promotion of lesser-known nuts and seeds offers growth potential

Selected Brand Analysis—Dried Fruit and Fruit Snacks

Key points

Conveniently delivering exotic flavor experiences and functional health

Figure 16: Selected FDM brand sales of dried fruit in the U.S., 2006 and 2007

Brands featuring unusual fruit or fruit mixes are attracting attention

Ocean Spray and Sunsweet score with functional benefits of cranberries and dried plums

Selected Brand Analysis—Yogurt

Key points

Dannon, Yoplait kids’ brands should emulate adult yogurt nutritional value

Figure 17: Selected FDM brand sales of yogurt in the U.S., 2006 and 2007

Dannon innovates with functional benefits; Yoplait Light and Weight Watchers court dieters

Danimals: applying lessons learned

Selected Brand Analysis—Rice Cakes

Key points

Frito-Lay dominates sales—fueling growth through calorie-control packs

Figure 18: Selected FDM brand sales of rice cakes in the U.S., 2006 and 2007

Selected Brand Analysis—Trail Mix

Key points

Figure 19: Selected FDM brand sales of trail mix in the U.S., 2006 and 2007

New brands enter segment to challenge Planters

Selected Brand Analysis—Snack Bars

Key points

Yin and yang: balancing convenience and health

Where’s the fruit?

Momentum favors healthier products and flavor innovation

Brand power: Kellogg’s flexes Special K muscle

Figure 20: Selected FDM brand sales of yogurt in the U.S., 2006 and 2007

Selected Brand Analysis—Popcorn

Key points

Snackers want healthy popcorn brands…

…but RTE convenience is also in demand

Figure 21: Selected FDM brand sales of popcorn in the U.S., 2006 and 2007

Implied healthier branded popcorn like Frito-Lay’s Smart Food perform well

Ready-to-eat popcorn brands rise—proving convenience is king

Selected Brand Analysis—Cheese

Key points

Inherently healthy natural cheeses packaged and formatted for snackability

Processed cheeses can find a niche among healthy snackers

Figure 22: Selected FDM brand sales of processed cheese in the U.S., 2006 and 2007

Natural cheese appeals to healthy snackers—featuring form and function

Few processed cheese brands healthy cheese snackers can turn to

Selected Brand Analysis—Pretzels

Key points

Moving beyond fat-free to attract current health-conscious snackers

Creating excitement with flavor innovation

Figure 23: Selected FDM brand sales of pretzels in the U.S., 2006 and 2007

Snyder’s and Utz—offering healthier pretzel choices

Brands offering flavor innovations reap greatest gains

Selected Brand Analysis—Potato Chips

Key points

Frito-Lay seeks healthier position for all its chip brands

Brands succeed with baked and reduced fat varieties

Figure 24: Selected FDM brand sales of potato chips in the U.S., 2006 and 2007

Regular and light brands fall; baked and reduced fat thrive

Pringles targets healthy snackers with calorie-controlled options

Brand Qualities

Frito-Lay

The Kellogg Company

Innovation and Innovators

Product launches targeting healthy snackers escalate

Figure 25: New healthy snack product launches*, by sub-category, 2003-07

Healthy snacking innovators

PepsiCo (Frito-Lay/Quaker)

Kellogg’s

Advertising and Promotion

Overview

Health benefits

Product reformulations

Figure 26: Television ad for Lay’s with sunflower oil

Functional health

Figure 27: Television ad for Dannon Activia

Figure 28: Television ad for Kraft LiveActive

Healthy living

Lifestyle changes

Figure 29: Television ad for Frito-Lay SunChips

Figure 30: Television ad for Laughing Cow Cheese

Figure 31: Television ad for Emerald Snack Nuts

Figure 32: Television ad for Sun-Maid Raisins

Figure 33: Television ad for Special K bars

Figure 34: Television ad for Quaker Granola Bites

Diet-centric

Figure 35: Television ad for Yoplait

Small packaging is big in advertising

Figure 36: Television ad for Pringles Mini

Figure 37: Television ad for Sunsweet Ones

Figure 38: Television ad for Quaker Mini Delights

Usage

Figure 39: Foods considered snacks, December 2007

Figure 40: Foods eaten that are considered healthy snacks, December 2007

Figure 41: Percentage consumnption as healthy snack, December 2007

Frequency of Use

Figure 42: Frequency of healthy snack consumption, December 2007

Figure 43: Frequency of healthy snack consumption, by age, December 2007

Figure 44: Frequency of healthy snack consumption, by HH income, December 2007

Attitudes and Motivations

Low-in claims

Figure 45: Importance of low-in claims when choosing a healthy snack, by gender, December 2007

Figure 46: Importance of low-in claims when choosing a healthy snack, by age, December 2007

Figure 47: Importance of low-in claims when choosing a healthy snack, by HH income, December 2007

Figure 48: Importance of low-in claims when choosing a healthy snack, by race/ethnicity, December 2007

Added-value claims

Figure 49: Importance of added-value claims when choosing a healthy snack, by age, December 2007

Figure 50: Importance of added-value claims when choosing a healthy snack, by race/ethnicity, December 2007

Taste/appetite/looks

Figure 51: Importance of taste, appetite satisfaction, and packaging when choosing a healthy snack, by gender, December 2007

Figure 52: Importance of taste, appetite satisfaction, and packaging when choosing a healthy snack, by age, December 2007

Figure 53: Importance of taste, appetite satisfaction, and packaging when choosing a healthy snack, by race/ethnicity, December 2007

Appendix: Trade Associations

Abstract

• The shifting dynamics of healthy snacking as they are related to nine different food segments
• Who is innovating in the marketplace and why those innovations may succeed or fail in the longer term
• Which brands are positioning themselves for future growth
• Four distinct classes of snackers, as revealed by cluster analysis
• Comparing food segments by their association between health and snacking via Mintel’s unique “healthy snacking multiple” system
• Mintel’s consumer analysis concerning not only usage and frequency of use of 20 snackable foods, but also analysis of low-in, added value claims, as well as taste, appetite, and looks

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