Clean Label

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At its core, eating quality seals the deal on the repeat purchase of a snack. Those of us in the industry might rank a snack’s hedonistic level—the level of pleasure consumption delivers. Snacks can also face organoleptic scrutiny, determining its positive (or negative) interactions with our senses.

Manufacturers of tortilla and tostada chips continue to expand the boundaries of their offerings, in terms of both more imaginative flavors and attempts to address consumer concerns about the healthfulness of a category traditionally known for corn, salt and carbs.

Once a simple snack aisle staple, the humble pretzel is experiencing a resurgence, as restaurant menus tap into the classic flavors of this ubiquitous snack. According to Mintel, Chicago, there has been significant growth in the number of pretzel buns on menus recently, to the tune of 97 percent more items on menus than in previous years.

In a food culture that increasingly prizes clean label, fresh flavors and nutritional benefits, companies working in the freezer case need to integrate selective strategic innovations while holding true to the convenience and quality shoppers have come to expect in classic, category-leading frozen snacks and appetizers.

Crackers remain one of the most- important segments in snacks, valued at $7.4 billion. And current innovations related to ingredients, formats and flavor profiles could drive more growth over the coming year.

Last week, I was in Vegas for IFT17, the Institute of Food Technologists' annual show, where I saw and sampled many new variations on familiar themes.

Trends, highlights and new ingredients, equipment and technology from IFT17.

Portfolio of clean label extracts and flavors meets consumer demands to "go clean."

Researchers at Ingredion’s Idea Labs have developed a line of HOMECRAFT Create multi-functional rice flours that help food manufacturers respond to consumer demand for smooth, silky textures in clean label and gluten-free products.

Carefully considered products all have a sweet spot, that central nexus where everything comes together for a strong hit into the outfield—and for particularly astute product-development teams, the occasional home run.