Sunkist builds momentum in real fruit snacks arena
The Sunkist Fruit Lover’s Trail Mix range comprised of real fruit now comes in flavors like Guava Chili Mango and Ginger Peach while the launch of a Fruit Chips Medley product boasts avoidance of the baked or fried process.
Sunkist Growers, the world’s largest citrus cooperative has licensed out the trademark to Snack it Forward, which first introduced two premium snack lines under the Sunkist name back in 2012.
“[Our] collaboration with Sunkist has allowed us to drive innovative, fresh ideas and set a standard in the fruit snacking industry,” said Nick Desai, CEO, Snack It Forward.
Consumers appreciate clarity and transparency
According to Desai, this ambitious snack company is truly catering to the health concious consumer in a market where products are too often made from gelatin and lots of added sugar.
“Consumers are tired of food companies trying to pass off foods as ‘healthy’ or ‘clean,’ when they really aren’t. They also don’t want to hunt for nutritional information and appreciate clarity and transparency,” the CEO told BakeryandSnacks.
“If you look at our Sunkist Fruit Chips, they only contain fruit. That's it, ” he added by way of comparison.
A strategy that clearly seems to be working well for the company, as Desai informs this publication; “We are a leader in freeze dried fruit, and branded fruit snacks. Our items rank in the top 3% of category sales.”
War on sugar
Just last week, we reported on Euromonitor’s findings that 47% of global consumers are looking for foods with limited or no added sugar.
This demand was evident in the rise of the healthy snacks sector, valued at $140bn in 2015 which comprises nuts, seeds and trail mixes, energy bars, savory snacks, yogurt and milk products.
“The growth in healthy snacks was driven by Western Europe and North America, which combined, increased by $10.8bn from 2011 to 2016, an emerging trend that could transform the industry,” reported food analyst, Jack Skelly.
The sugar-reduction movement has prompted manufacturers to use an increasing amount of sugar replacements or natural sweeteners in their new products.
