Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/55461
Baked Lentil Chips are available in Cucumber Dill, Cracked Pepper, Parmesan Garlic, Roasted Pepper, Sea Salt and Rosemary. Manufacturers and retailers are catching on quickly to meet customer demands for heartier, protein-packed chips. New Seasons Market in Portland, Ore., reports a 25 percent uptick in sales in 2011 for Flamous Falafel Chips. Flamous Brands, located in San Gabriel, Calif., makes a USDA-certified organic, fiber- and protein- rich corn chip using beans such as black, garbanzo and fava. "Bean chips are a relatively newer category for us," says Joel Dahll, director of grocery, merchandising, purchasing and retailing for New Seasons. Aside from Garden of Eatin' Black Bean Chips, which have been around for more than 30 years with steady sales, Dahll reports a number of new entries in the last year. "Beanitos' brand was new to us in 2011," he notes. Made from just beans, the chips contain 4 grams each of fiber and complete protein in a 1-ounce serving. "Sales this year have been very strong, surpassing many SKUs of potato chips that we carry," he adds. Bringing rice to the mix, Beanfields LLC, Los Angeles, is also offering a healthier fiber-filled alternative to corn, tortilla and potato chips. The company's Crispylicious Bean & Rice Chips are made from a combination of U.S.-grown black beans, navy beans and long-grain rice. "The health benefits are enormous," says Roy Glidden, vice president of sales and marketing. "Our chips contain 4 grams of fiber and 4 grams of complete protein per 1-ounce serv- ing. This is more fiber and protein than most whole-grain breads." Richter adds that part of the appeal of snacks higher in protein or fiber is their ability to satiate longer than other options. Newcomer Way Better Snacks, from Live Better Brands LLC, introduced Simply Sprouted snacks in early 2011. The stone- ground corn chips are made with sprouted chia seeds, sprouted flax and other spouted seeds; flavors include Simply Sweet Potato, Simply Beyond Black Beans, Simply Sunny Multi Grain, Simply Sweet Chili, Unbeatable Blues and the salt-free Naked Blue. The chips also contain sprouted broccoli and daikon radish seeds, which are high in sulphoraphane (the good stuff in broccoli), making them highly digestible and high in omega 3s and antioxidants. "We feel these snacks are 'way better' for any number of reasons," says Live Better Brands' founder and CEO, Jim Breen. "But a big reason for the exceptionally high interest level is the emerging sprouted trend. People just seem to know that sprouted is better." Among more-established brands, Lundberg receives accolades from retailers across the country for its rice chips—especially the Sesame & Seaweed flavor. "It is one of our best-selling chips," says Sharon Bodie, grocery manager at Mrs. Greens, Fairfield, Ct. New Season's Dahll sees its popularity as well. "Lundberg Rice Chips are a huge seller for us, with sales comps at about three per- cent over 2010," he shares. Nielsen suggests that the added appeal of seaweed in the MARCH 2012 45 Lundberg chips is part of the draw. Vegetables—and sea vegetables in particular—are a new form of eye candy on store shelves. Fruits and Veggies Seaweed has moved beyond the sushi bar, to become an emerging ingredient in salty snacks as well as a standout with adults and the younger set for its vitamins, minerals, delicate crunch and umami flavor. CCD Innovation has called out sea vegetables as a rap- idly emerging trend in the snack category. That includes traditional Japanese or Korean nori (seaweed) snacks that pack sea-veggie flavor as well as milder chips containing seaweed. "We have been watching the sea veggie and veggie chip trend for years," says Nielsen, who notes that it's not going away anytime soon. She notes that some manufacturers are adding seaweed to their existing snacks while others are creating line extensions or emerging as strictly seaweed-snack companies. Annie Chun's, for example, has added Sesame and Wasabi seaweed snacks to its line of Asian-inspired foods, while Los Angeles company SeaSnax has created grab-and-go seaweed packs in such flavors as Spicy Chipotle and Toasty Onion. Landlocked veggies and fruits are earning their place on snack shelves as well. "Kale chips are dominating now," Nielsen says. "They are being seen in more mass markets like Trader Joe's and Top: Flamous Brands Falafel Chips Bottom: Simply 7 Lentil Chips