31 Aug 2017 --- Sweet and salty is all the rage, according to ingredients specialist Bösch Boden Spies. To cater to this trend, the company has now added salty-caramel flavored almonds to its range. “Salted Caramel” is the latest addition to the producer Blue Diamond’s “Flavored Almonds” line, which combines the popular ingredient with new flavors.

Natalia Willner, Marketing Manager at Bösch Boden Spies told FoodIngredientsFirst: “Around the world, the demand for exotic, authentic and original products is growing. Widely-traveled consumers, in particular, like to try new flavors and product textures. This trend extends to all food categories and provides a lot of space for product innovation and range extensions. Almonds as a flavor carrier provide a great opportunity to experiment and establish new and previously unfamiliar combinations.” 

“Millennials are an important target group in today’s product developments,” explains Willner. “They appreciate authentic products and brands with a story behind them. This requirement goes beyond mere product certification and demands that the product is sustainably produced. Millennials pay attention to brands that clearly show that the products were made under fair conditions for all parties involved. Besides the authenticity of a product, the focus here, too, is on the demand for increasingly unusual flavors. As a classic natural product from suppliers that ensure fair conditions throughout the value chain through farmers' cooperatives, almond ingredients are the perfect response to these requirements.” 
 
“Some product categories, such as chocolate and desserts, don’t allow for positioning products based purely on health-related value add. But health-conscious consumers, in particular, are seeking justification when they treat themselves – they want to feelClick to Enlarge slightly less guilty when they indulge with a piece of chocolate. High-quality ingredients can provide them with a classic indulgence alibi. For example, chocolate with healthy ingredients like whole fruit pieces or nuts. Also smaller packaging sizes, which limit indulgence, are very popular with consumers.”

Almonds are regarded a healthy, nutritious products – albeit nutritious without containing a lot of fat because, at approximately 50 percent, natural almonds have a relatively low-fat content compared to other types of nut. The composition of this fat is also interesting because only a small fraction is saturated. Most of it consists of nutritionally very valuable mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Beyond this, almonds are rich in fiber, vitamin B2, phosphorus, magnesium and the trace elements copper and manganese. They also contain relevant quantities of folic acid, potassium, calcium, iron and zinc. Due to their high levels of vitamin E, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, natural almonds also have excellent antioxidative potential.

“Blue Diamond flavored almonds are very successful in the US and are around for many years already. Blue Diamond will continue to innovate and launch new flavors in order to meet consumer demand for healthy and exciting snack options,” notes Willner. 
 
According to Willner, salt and pepper, blueberry, honey roasted and hickory smoked are the flavors that could give salted caramel a run for its money. 

The almonds get their flavor from a combination of natural flavorings, sugar, and sea salt. And the gourmet ingredient isn’t just promoted as “delicious” – the almonds functionally upgrade the foods they are used in – thus fulfilling the desire of many consumers to combine healthy enjoyment with unusual taste experiences.

Blue Diamond Salted Caramel Almonds are ideal for use in chocolate and granola, where the combination of sweet and salty is particularly in demand. Because of their functional value-add, they also enable guilt-free nibbles and snacks.

Bösch Boden Spies is advising interested producers on the possible uses of Salted Caramel Almonds and works with them to develop trendy new applications and solutions. 

By Elizabeth Green 

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