KEY INTERVIEW: An Ingredient For Health & Indulgence? The Almond Has it All
24 Aug 2015 --- The Almond Board of California has seen a sharp increase in the use of almonds in food products around the world. Harbinder Mann, Senior Marketing Manager, Trade Stewardship at Almond Board of California, spoke to FoodIngredientsFirst about the boom in the use of almonds in indulgent products.
According to Mann, where almonds are seeing the biggest growth is in the chocolate confectionery market, where consumers are always looking for new indulgences and taste experiences, and of course, nuts in general are a perfect fit with chocolate. What appeals to consumers most is the nutritional qualities of nuts and almonds in particular.
“For food manufacturers, making a healthier version of a popular food, such as chocolate, requires a strategic selection of ingredients and recipe formulation to maximise flavour release and product texture,” explains Mann. “Almond’s satiety-inducing protein and nutritious profile makes it an excellent ingredient for chocolate products, especially as over half of consumers worldwide rate almonds as healthy.”
“The need for differentiation in an increasingly crowded marketplace has also encouraged variations in the format of the almonds themselves, encompassing not only whole almonds, nibs, slivers, brittles and creams, but also preparation methods, which have moved on from roasting and salting (particularly with highly fashionable sea salt), and into methods such as caramelising and kettle cooking,” emphasizes Mann.
Confectionery, bakery and snacks make up 65% of all new product introductions. Chocolate is the lead category and much of the innovation with almonds has been driven by the combination of almonds and chocolate, which is a firm favourite among consumers.
Demand for chocolate is continuing to rise globally, with almonds the fastest growing ingredient amongst nuts. The use of nuts featured in 36% of the global chocolate confectionery launches recorded by Innova Market Insights in 2014. Within that, almonds were one of the most popular nut types, used in over one third of chocolate launches containing nuts, equivalent to 13% of chocolate launches overall. Nuts are included in over half of all chocolate products and almonds specifically account for 54% of chocolate and nut products, accounting for a whopping 31% of the total market. Reflecting this, 8 of the top 10 global chocolate brands (in retail value) now have almond versions of their products.
Mann explains: “According to the latest Global Chocolate Consumer Report from Sterling Rice Group, consumers eat chocolate 10 times per month on average, and 70% of consumers globally prefer chocolate that contains nuts, believing it makes the chocolate crunchier, more nutritious and more filling. Of the nut options, almonds have held the top position for inclusion in new products for seven consecutive years and new almond confectionery has increased 48% in the last five years from 2009 to 2013. Globally, almonds are rated the best nut for taste, nutrition, crunch and satiety, and respondents are more likely to purchase almonds than any other type of nut.”
Almonds are a natural source of protein and are high in fibre, while being naturally low in sugars. A 30g serving has 13g of good unsaturated fats. When compared gram for gram, almonds are the tree nut highest in protein, fibre, calcium, vitamin E, riboflavin and niacin and are among the lowest in calories.
A recent New Global Chocolate Introductions Study from Innova Market Insights also highlighted that global chocolate almond introductions have increased faster than any other category, at 18%. Ultimately, over a third of all new global chocolate introductions include nuts, and about 40% of these include almonds.
It seems that when it comes to nuts, there is room for health and indulgence. Mann explains: “Even in the market for confectionery, where demand is more about everyday treats, indulgence and impulse purchasing, there is still interest in health and over one-fifth of chocolate launches featuring almonds were positioned on a better for you platform of some kind in 2014.”
“Key areas of interest were in clean labelling and naturalness, with 7% of launches featuring natural or additive- /preservative-free claims or both, rising to over 12% if organic claims are also included. GMO-free claims were also used on just under 3% of launches, and Fair-trade on just over 3%,” she says.
Almonds are an ingredient that consumers value in their food products – for their nutritional benefits, flavour and texture. The versatility and sensory qualities of almonds is a solution to this growing consumer demand, which manufacturers can benefit from.
Younger consumers also seek out front of pack ethical claims, for example organic and Fair-trade. This audience is also more inclined to be adventurous when trying out new flavour combinations and textures, where multiple inclusions appear in the chocolate bar. Additionally, almonds can be a good fit with the demand for clean labels and 43% of the global snack nut introductions featuring almonds launched from 2009 to 2013 carried a health claim. ‘No additives or preservatives’ was the most tracked claim, used for 12.1% of global introductions.
In terms of the future, there is no limit to what the almond can achieve.
“Almonds have more forms than any other tree nut, and this versatility adds to the premium qualities that almonds bring to chocolate. The value of almonds’ texture, flavour and versatility highlight fascinating aspects of potential uses for almonds and the beneficial impact they can have. Awareness and usage statistics show that consumers are increasingly valuing the health benefits of almonds as well as the taste and sensory properties. The many sensory benefits of almonds assist with differentiating products in the crowded marketplace, to the benefit of both consumers and manufacturers alike,” concludes Mann.
By Kelly Worgan
