trends in snack food processing
TRANSCRIPT
Trends in Snack Food Processing
eHANDBOOK
TABLE OF CONTENTSTrends in Snacks: Healthy? Yes. Flavorful? Absolutely 3
The two are not exclusive when processors combine plant-forward formulations with clean
but exciting flavors.
Packaging Automation Overview 8
AD INDEXCablevey Conveyors • www.cablevey.com 5
Tuthill • www.tuthill.com 7
Harpak-Ulma • www.harpak-ulma.com 10
eHANDBOOK: Snack Food Trends 2
www.FoodProcessing.com
The traditional idea of a “snack” is a
between-meal, quick bite that sat-
isfies an urge. But in today’s world,
snacking has become much more import-
ant. According to a 2011 USDA report,
adults average 2.2 snacks per day, more
than double from three decades earlier.
“Consumers are living more on-the-go and
snacking more frequently, and because of
that they’re relying on the snack category as
a source of nutrition more than before,” says
David Walsh, vice president of membership
and communications at SNAC International,
a trade association for the snack food indus-
try. “Because of that reliance, we’re seeing a
lot of innovation in that category.”
Leading innovations in snacking include
exotic flavors, plant-forward products and
high-protein edibles. But perhaps the over-
riding trend is that food manufacturers are
creating more healthful snacks that taste
great while fulfilling nutritional requirements.
“People are beginning to really focus on what
they are putting into their bodies and looking
for snacks that provide more than just calo-
ries and curb cravings,” explains nutritionist
Lisa Richards, author of The Candida Diet
(www.thecandidadiet.com). “This is chang-
ing the way the snack food and health food
industries are formulating their products.”
Snacks with a focus on plant-based
ingredients are flying off of food
processor’s drawing boards.
“We’ve seen plant-forward really top of
mind for a lot of people,” notes Jada Linton,
Trends in Snacks: Healthy? Yes. Flavorful? AbsolutelyThe two are not exclusive when processors combine plant-forward formulations with clean but exciting flavors.
By Food Processing
eHANDBOOK: Snack Food Trends 3
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a registered dietitian and marketing and
communications specialist for the National
Peanut Board (www.nationalpeanutboard.
org). “Plant-forward snacks have more fiber
and more protein, and because of that they
satisfy you for a longer time.”
Linton explains that balance among the oils,
sugars and proteins in snacks is essential. The
protein – such as from peanuts or other nuts –
provides satiety; the oil helps with mouthfeel;
and the sugar provides sweetness.
One recent example of a plant-forward
snack is a round, nut-based snack created
by Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter (www.cra-
zyrichards.com) called Wholly Rollies. Kimmi
Wernli, president of the company, came up
with the idea while she was searching for a
healthier snack for her four children.
“We were going through so many granola
bars and my kids were getting tired of
them,” says Wernli. “And the granola bars
had lots of unpronounceable ingredients in
them. There had to be a healthier way.”
Wernli began experimenting with balls
containing her company’s natural peanut
butter and other natural ingredients, such
as honey, maple syrup and rolled oats.
Once she had a facsimile of what she
wanted – and got her kids’ taste approval
– she turned to food scientists to convert
her homemade creation to something that
could be manufactured.
Another example of a plant-forward snack
is Power Veggie Bites from Appleton’s
Market (appletonsmarket.com). The muf-
fin-like snacks come in three varieties – Thai
Sriracha, Sun-Dried Tomato Basil and Mex-
ican Enchilada – and contain about 100
calories. The ingredient panel is loaded
with plants – such as broccoli, carrots and
Swiss chard – which created challenges
for the small company, says owner Chris-
tina Appleton.
“I had to find a manufacturing partner that
could process fresh ingredients, bake and
freeze,” Appleton says. “I was fortunate to
find a food manufacturer here in California
that specialized in small baked goods and
had the labor and skill to make the product.”
PROTEIN LOVERS
The popularity of Paleo and Keto diets in
recent years has initiated another snack
trend: more protein. Meat-based snacks
come to mind first when consumers
think of protein, but protein also can
be found in plant-forward snacks.
“We’ve seen increased sales of beef jerky and
other meat snacks,” Walsh says. “Any type of
protein has been resonating with consumers.”
Another meat snack category that is
exploding is pork rinds, Walsh says. Manu-
facturers such as Utz (www.utzsnacks.com/
collections/pork-rinds-and-cracklins) and
Rudolph’s (www.rudolphfoods.com/brands/
www.FoodProcessing.com
eHANDBOOK: Snack Food Trends 4
(641) 673-8451 www.cablevey.com
Cablevey is a registered trademark of Intraco, Inc. 10/2020
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Snack Food PlantTHE HEART OF THE SYSTEMCABLE & DISCS
rudolphfoods/porkrinds-snacks.php) have
moved beyond the traditional salted fried
pork skin.
“They are great at innovating flavors,”
Walsh says. “I’ve seen Cuban mojito flavor,
cilantro lime flavor and others. They’re
appealing to younger consumers who are
experimenting with new flavors.”
While healthier snacks are all the rage, they
don’t sell if consumers dislike the taste.
That has led manufacturers to innovate with
more unusual flavors.
“If a snack doesn’t taste good, it doesn’t
matter how healthy it is, people won’t buy
it,” Walsh says. “Especially younger con-
sumers are looking for more adventurous
flavors and experiences.”
Walsh notes that bold, spicy flavors – the
hotter the better – are popular today. One
example is Spicy Peri Peri Biltong Sticks
from Stryve (stryve.com). This beef stick
snack also meets the clean-label trend, as
all of its ingredients are common food-
stuffs: beef, vinegar, salt, chile pepper,
coriander, black pepper, nutmeg, clove and
lamb casing.
The manufacturing process of extruded
snacks such as “puffs” is ideal for combining
adventurous flavors with healthy ingredi-
ents, Walsh says. Because the ingredients
are thoroughly combined prior to the extru-
sion process, a wide variety of ingredients
can be incorporated.
The same goes for veggie chips made from
ground dehydrated vegetables – it’s simple
to add flavor at the mixing stage.
Consider Snacklins (www.snacklins.com),
a new “puffy” chip made with yuca, mush-
rooms and onions. The chips, which the
manufacturers tout as “vegan pork rinds,”
have a simple ingredient panel: yuca,
mushroom, sunflower oil, spice, onion
and sea salt, for example, for their barbe-
que flavor.
“Those types of product are very adaptable
regarding incorporating a lot of ingredients,
like pea proteins, lentils and pulses,” Walsh
says. “And they are good for experimenting
with flavors because it’s all about the sea-
soning. It’s pretty easy to get creative, even
if it’s a healthier product.”
Another category that can combine strong
flavors with a vegetable-forward base is
the veggie crisp or chip made from sliced
whole vegetables, such as Terra Real Veg-
etable Chips (www.terrachips.com/chips/
product/mediterranean/).
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eHANDBOOK: Snack Food Trends 6
The automation of any packag-
ing process is dependent on the
product’s attributes, production
parameters and goals, and how products
are delivered to and from packaging equip-
ment. This paper provides a high-level
overview of key considerations of packag-
ing automation.
Producers moving from a manual process
to automation often are experiencing a
mismatch between production speed or
volume requirements versus the limitations
and costs of manual loading efforts. This
paper presents a simple primer regarding
the key characteristics involving the auto-
mation of a packaging process; from the
feeding & loading considerations associ-
ated with primary packaging of the product
itself; to secondary and tertiary packaging
automation factors and ancillary automa-
tion commonly used in the packing process.
We address conventional packaging auto-
mation equipment as well as advancements
in robotic automation that are paving the
way to new levels of scalability and cost
containment for producers of every size
and industry.
PRIMARY FEEDING OF PACKAGING LINES A critical first step in any automated
packing process is the loading of the
product to the primary packaging
equipment. The feeding/loading strategy
will be gated by three primary attributes:
• Production requirements: Such as volume,
speed and efficiency (throughput), qual-
ity output (product damage), as well as
available floor space.
• The state/nature of the product being
packaged: Food products may be
raw, cooked, or frozen, while nonfood
products require sterility or exhibit
dimensional challenges.
• How will that product be presented for
the packaging process? Will it be in bulk,
serially, in what orientation, etc.?
Packaging infeeds and outfeeds are
designed to manage sorting, orientat-
ing, allocating, positioning and inserting
Packaging Automation OverviewBy Harpak-ULMA
eHANDBOOK: Snack Food Trends 8
www.FoodProcessing.com
products in a quick and safe manner with-
out damaging the product. In the food
industry, sanitary/hygienic design is a
critical aspect of the loading process.
This can be a multi-step process that not
only involves transfer of product, but may
require buffering, pre-grouping, inspect-
ing and removal of rejected products
or materials.
Conveyor systems are often an integral
aspect of packaging infeed or outfeed
automation. Conveyors built specifically
for packaging operations are often more
mobile – they may be caster-mounted
for easy transport within a facility. In the
context of a packaging feeding system,
product delivery preciseness (time/orien-
tation, mode) becomes the critical factor.
The product being moved may have to
be delivered in batches, or at a controlled,
continuous rate in a specific pattern or
orientation. Performance-related issues
with food-related shrink wrapping or flow
wrapping can sometimes be attributed to
inadequate conveyor staging for precise
infeed registration. This can also impact
labeling and date stamping when products
may have to be rotated on the conveyor to
a precise location to be stamped.
“Racetracks” that use multiple conveyors
or belting running at different speeds may
be used in combination to gate product
delivery or buffer infeeds. Keep in mind
that conveyors designed for industrial envi-
ronments may not be well suited to every
environment. In medical devices, sterility
requirements typically demand stainless
steel construction. Another example is
food producers who must meet sanitation
requirements that include wipe-down and
wash-down procedures. When it comes
to hygienic conveyor design, removable
belts are a good option as they are easier
to clean. Food producers should beware of
conveyors that have been minimally modi-
fied to meet food-grade specifications...
Infeed conveyers Description
Pivoting Fast feed system to fill bars, flow-wrap products and bags directly into a con-tinuous motion running carton
Star wheel Used when in-line product reorientation is required.
Vertical cascade ‘Bomb-bay’ style infeed system to fill bags and pouches in the bucket of a continuous motion cartoner
Index Straightens and readjusts product alignment and orientation for fur-ther production.
Overhead Fast feed system to fill incoming flow-wrapped products direct in the bucket of a continuous motion cartoner
Bull nose One entry and one exit; the nose is retracted to deposit or eject product
Screw Simple, high-speed in-line infeed system for smoothly spacing regular shaped products using a screw system
Upenders Used to reorient or assist packages in the "stand-up" or "lay down" position
Pusher Used to control (indexing, braking) or maneuver (lifting, orienting and pattern forming). Transfer products between conveyors
Carton stacker Simple, flexible system to stack cartons in different formations.
Carton formation table System with sideward movements to create different carton formations on a table
Download the complete white paper here.
www.FoodProcessing.com
eHANDBOOK: Snack Food Trends 9
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An automated system increases reliability and throughput, reduces long-term costs, and provides ergonomic improvements that enhance workplace safety.
Contact Harpak-ULMA Packaging today!
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Reusable Plastic Containers (RPCs), also known as “totes,” are made to accommodate the transfer of a wide range of products and primary packaging types. Reusable plastic totes not only reduce carbon emissions, waste, and natural resource consumption, they offer improved product protection versus cardboard alternatives.
Durable plastic totes are easy to clean, hygienic, resist water and chemicals, and are consistently sized. Plastic totes have been shown to reduce product damage by up to 96% while lowering costs by as much as 27% through more effi cient, reusable distribution processes. They are a perfect, environmentally-conscious addition to your bakery packaging operation.
TOTE MANAGEMENT FOR YOUR BAKERY PACKAGING LINES