ADM Identifies Trends Fueling Functional Snacking

ADM recently issued a report highlighting the trends driving growth in functional snack products.

According to recent consumer research, 59% of consumers are interested in products customized to meet their nutrition needs; nearly 70% of those consumers are turning to snacks for comfort at least some of the time, and 57% say moments of indulgence for self-care purposes are important. This suggests a growing trend of healthy indulgence which has made its way into snacking.

Today, snacks are poised to fulfill more roles, like supporting active lifestyles, acting as meal replacements, or helping to meet the nutritional needs of people on anti-obesity medications. While conventional formats still lead, 58% of consumers told ADM that they’re interested in trying snacks that are more nutritious, 43% want snacks that are easier to eat, and 33% are looking for unique flavors. Cost-consciousness is still considerable, with 41% of consumers telling the supplier they’re concerned about price.

Life Stage and Lifestyle

Personalization in snacking will grow, as functional snacks become tailored to different life stages, ADM projected. For instance, young adults may demand energy for school or work. The journey through menopause calls for products that support bone density or reduce hot flashes. And joint health is a notable concern for healthy aging.

Almost everyone seeks greater protein intake; protein was tied with ‘low in sugar’ as a top product attribute with 34% listing it as very important when deciding which snacks to consume, up 9% from 2020. It’s not just conventional protein sources growing, with 73% of global plant-forward consumers having had plant-based protein in snacks. People seek out 30 grams of protein per meal, and functional snacks can help meet that protein intake goal by adding 10 or 20 grams in quick, convenient formats.

Consumers are also looking for purposeful snacks that help them meet goals related to gut health, weight management, active nutrition goals, mood, and sleep. But those snacks also need to be easy to consume on the go, and satisfy with no compromise on flavor, ADM reported.

ADM has kept its TasteSpark flavor modulation platform front of mind as a crucial way to overcome flavor hurdles in functional snacks.

The GLP-1 Effect

The use of anti-obesity medications such as GLP-1 receptor agonists has permeated all parts of the food industry. As a result, consumers are scrutinizing labels more than ever for ingredients derived from natural sources, and low sugar and sodium content. They’re concerned about digestive discomfort or excessive sweetness, and demand high amounts of protein and fiber.

ADM’s HarvestEdge flours, specialty grains, and blends, all developed for sweet goods and baked snacks, are suitable to meet demand for digestive-supporting products. This blend features Bifidobacterium longum CECT7347 ES1 postbiotic and ADM/Matsutani LLC’s Fibersol prebiotic dietary fiber.

For GLP-1 medication users, both taste and nutritional value are equally important (64%) when choosing food and beverages. Coming right behind these purchase drivers is portion control (60%), with medication users looking for smaller, more nutrient-dense meals. Functional snacks, for this reason, stand to do well among these consumers.

Mood, Joy, and ‘Soft Health’

An overall mood boost is a critical part of the snacking experience, ADM reported. “Soft health” attributes, like clean label claims and certain flavors, can have as much draw as ‘hard health’ claims like protein or fiber content. Pleasing colors and flavors derived from natural sources are major purchase drivers for these joy-seeking consumers.

ADM’s Colors from Nature portfolio and natural flavors library can help deliver visually-pleasing, tasty snacks positioned for ‘soft health.’ Its clean-tasting plant proteins can also deliver ideal nutrition value with pleasing sensory characteristics, the company reported.

“While there is more intentionality in shoppers’ product purchases today, particularly when targeting wellness goals, many consumers also want easy, low-effort wellness solutions. In fact, 91% of younger generation consumers want something quick and convenient when they need a snack, with 62% willing to put in little to no effort in preparing it,” ADM reported, noting the importance of functional snacking to meet these needs.

Meal Replacement

Replacing meals with snacks has become more popular, with no better example than the viral ‘girl dinner’ trend on social media. People are replacing meals with snacks due to convenience, cost savings, portion control, flavor exploration, and nutritional needs, ADM reported.

About a third (30%) of consumers reported to ADM an uptick in snacking habits, and breakfast and lunch may also soon be replaced by snacks more often, thanks to upward trends in high-protein yogurt and other snacks. Younger consumers are driving this trend, snacking three times a day or more on average, and fewer meals. Gen Z, millennials, and Gen X all snack more than 50% of the time, while baby boomers snack 45% of the time and mostly prefer larger traditional meals.