Sector News

For the fifth year in a row, global consumers expressed a preference for snacking over traditional meals, with six in 10 consumers saying they’d rather eat several small meals throughout the day than a few large ones, according to the fifth annual State of Snacking report from Mondelēz International. Nearly nine in 10 (88%) consumers snack daily.

Despite rising prices, snacks continue to be an area where consumers find joy. Most consumers (66%) haven’t made significant changes to how much they spend on snacks. But they’re making efforts to enjoy their snacks more, savoring the taste, flavor, and texture (85%) or eating snacks during special moments or times of the day (75%).

They’re also being mindful of how snacking impacts their health and the environment:

• “Everything is fine in moderation” was the top advice consumers had in relation to snacking, and 67% seek out portion controlled snacks (up 5% from 2022).
• Consumers turn to snacks for energy boosts (75%), mood improvement (74%), and to support fitness goals (70%).
• Most consumers (63%) look for snacks that help minimize their environmental impact,
• Nearly seven in 10 (67%) prioritize snacks with less plastic packaging, and the percentage of consumers who recycle their snack packaging (74%) has increased 3% from last year.

Social media and a taste for adventure are driving discovery of new snacks. More than half (56%) of consumers learn about new snacks on social media, 59% identify as “snack adventurers,” and almost three-quarters (74%) consider novelty of flavor and texture combination important when selecting a new snack.

Find more snacking insights in the full State of Snacking report.

By Krystle Morrison

Source: foodindustryexecutive.com