Arla addresses ‘snackification’ trend

Arla Foods Ingredients has developed a high-protein Snack Cake solution that it believes will enable bakery companies to target opportunities created by the ‘snackification’ of meal occasions. According to research by Nielsen, as many as 45% of consumers globally regularly consume a snack as a meal alternative. Of these, 52% do so at breakfast, 43% […]

Arla Foods Ingredients has developed a high-protein Snack Cake solution that it believes will enable bakery companies to target opportunities created by the ‘snackification’ of meal occasions.

According to research by Nielsen, as many as 45% of consumers globally regularly consume a snack as a meal alternative. Of these, 52% do so at breakfast, 43% at lunch and 40% at dinner. This phenomenon – known as snackification – is, says Arla, redefining how people eat and driving demand for healthier and more nutritious snacks that are considered a suitable replacement for a traditional meal.

Arla Foods Ingredients describes its new Snack Cake solution as the perfect on-the-go alternative to a sit-down meal, offering excellent taste and containing up to 10% whey protein and 200mg of calcium in a 21g serving with only 100 calories.

The recipe is said to be completely egg-free, helping bakers to control costs and overcome the supply chain difficulties sometimes associated with eggs. It also results in a recipe that is lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than other cakes. From a technical perspective, the Snack Cake is claimed to be straightforward to manufacture, and to score highly on moistness, structure, stability and shelf life.

“Most snacks are designed to satisfy a hunger craving rather than provide essential nutrients, which means people who snack in place of a traditional meal could be leaving a gap in their diet,” said John Kjaer, Global Sales Manager for Bakery at Arla Foods Ingredients. “Our Snack Cake solution represents an example of a product that can help address this. It meets all the usual criteria for a great snack – it’s convenient and indulgent. But, in addition, it delivers important nutrients, ensuring it is on-trend and attractive to modern consumers.”

Arla Foods Ingredients believes the Snack Cake offers inspiration for creating products that will appeal to two key demographic groups in particular – children and millennials.

“Millennials and parents of young children are two groups for whom snackification is becoming more and more relevant, but they also tend to be very health conscious, and prefer to choose snacks they consider to be ‘guilt-free’,” said Kjaer. “By offering these demanding consumers cake snacking products that deliver all the qualities they are seeking – taste, convenience and nutrition – bakery companies can turn the snackification trend into a major commercial success.”