New research about snackfoods and consumers’ snack food choices, ‘Healthy Snackers’, was released in the U.S on 2 February, 2012 by Mintel Research. Mintel defined a “healthy snacker” as one who chooses to consume snacks that are healthier than others, while reducing the consumption of less-healthy nibbles. According to Mintel’s research report, 44 percent of healthy snackers said they tend to eat healthfully most of the time while 42 percent made it a point to snack on foods that are... ...Read more »

In the December 2011 issue of Food Technology magazine, published by the US-based Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), contributing Editor A. Elizabeth Sloan writes about the latest whole grain trends in food: 1.     Food marketing claims relating to the benefits of whole grains are now the most sought after health claims on food packages, followed by claims about dietary fiber, according to the Food Marketing Institute’s (FMI) 2011 U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report. 2.      The number... ...Read more »

Consumer concerns surrounding health issues such as obesity are giving the confectionery markets a challenging time in the EU, where sales of sugar and gum confectionery have remained stagnant over the past four years (2008-2011), from €8.6 billion in 2008 to an estimated €8.9billion in 2011. According to global market research company Mintel’s latest research, sales declined the most in mature markets such as Germany, which despite remaining the largest market in Europe has seen sales drop... ...Read more »

A London-based market research company has outlined four trends that it believes will shape the way foodservice operators develop menu options during 2012. The four trends are identified by Mintel Group are: Slow it down: Fast food restaurants are returning to more time-intensive preparation methods for their menu items. As such, items described as “hand-made” or “home-style” are popping up on restaurant menus. Consumers are prepared to seek more from their dining experience... ...Read more »

The Canadian Government has announced it will reform the way it regulates energy drinks in Canada. Energy drinks are non-alcoholic beverages characterised by the addition of ‘energy enhancing’ ingredients. These may include a number of water-soluble B vitamins, amino acids and other substances, and caffeine. The proposed Canadian legislation includes: A cap on the amount of caffeine that can be included in an energy drink at 180 mg per single serving. In addition to current labels that... ...Read more »

Senior food industry executives from companies including Unilever, GlaxoSmithKline and Asda have headed to the picturesque UK town of Windsor for this year’s Food and Drink Innovation Dialogue to discuss a variety of factors affecting innovation in our sector. Delegates have analysed the impact that issues including the economic downturn, ethical consumerism, the rivalry between brands and private label and the demand for clean-label products have had on NPD. Here are some of the more... ...Read more »

This year’s Food and Drink Innovation Dialogue, held in the UK town of Windsor this week, has heard what factors are affecting NPD in our sector. The likes of Heinz, United Biscuits, Baxters Food Group and Mead Johnson Nutrition have headed to the event to discuss issues including reformulation and the EU health claims legislation. Here are some of the more notable soundbites. Innovation and Reformulation “What work can be done to look at the influence of reformulation? Satisfying... ...Read more »

Health experts have long touted the health benefits of antioxidant-rich red wine and recent research even suggests that light wine consumption (1-2 glasses a week) is no longer off limits for pregnant women. This holiday season consumers are sure to be lifting their glasses without guilt as Mintel research found that 85% of imbibers believe drinking wine in moderation can be good for your overall health. Additionally, 87% of wine drinkers believe red wine in moderation can be good for your heart,... ...Read more »

Recent research from Mintel Menu Insights found that snacking is the new way to order at restaurants. Menu items that contain the descriptors “snack,” “snackable,” or “snacker” have increased by a staggering 170% since 2007 and growth is expected to carry on as restaurants continue to explore this new trend.”Snacks are providing a huge opportunity right now for restaurants ranging from quick service to fine dining,” notes Eric Giandelone, director of... ...Read more »

While recent years have seen food snobs protest about their usage in modern day recipes, new research from Mintel finds hot canned meat is well and truly back on the menu, as Britain rediscovers the joys of this store cupboard staple.Sales of hot canned meats* are steaming. In the last two years alone, sales have grown by a hearty 12%, compared to cold canned meats which grew just 4%. Continued promotional activity has helped hot canned meats to grow its share of the canned meat market at the expense... ...Read more »