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32 per cent of surveyed Australian consumers prefer to buy products in ecofriendly packaging. “This,” Ms Stanton said, “creates a tension that needs a solution for manufacturers and retailers that need to satisfy both consumer needs while still considering food safety concerns.” Talking to Retail World, Nielsen Manager George Margin also advises suppliers to communicate benefits in their marketing and incorporate the applicable sustainability claims on packaging. “Understand that consumers and their expectations will continue to evolve, so keep a pulse on your marketing and fine- tune your messaging in-flight,” he said. A healthy shift The research from Roy Morgan also found that healthy snacks were among the most popular packaged snacks for Australian consumers. Following savoury snacks, which Roy Morgan found were consumed by 66 per cent of the Australians surveyed, healthy snacks, in second place, were consumed by 54.7 per cent. Despite this placing, the biggest increase occurred in the healthy snack catgeory. As Mr Margin from Nielsen tells Retail World, thanks to wider social trends towards healthier living and changing preferences regarding sugar and protein consumption, shoppers are more conscious and informed about the ingredients in the products they buy. “As a result,” he said, “we’re seeing a shift in demand towards more natural snacks with more diverse flavours and promotion of obvious health benefits.” Mr Margin advised: “Make specific claims (eg, high in protein, reduced sugar, organic, etc) on-pack and support with relevant marketing material.” Similarly, Ms Stanton refers to the Mintel Trend ‘Bannedwagon’, which she says speaks to how people are focusing on labels, ingredients and production methods, embracing once-niche ways of living and eating. “Now this ‘free from’ movement has led to the development of snacks that are ‘cleaner’ or more ‘natural’ and promote the fact that they’re free from gluten, added sugar or dairy, or contain very minimal \[such\] ingredients,” she said. Embracing all snackers and occasions While these factors are all important to consider, it’s just as crucial to remember that there are many types of snackers to accommodate. Mr Margin lists a number of different snacker types according to their mission, including ‘impulsive’, ‘planned’, ‘meal replacement’, ‘healthy’, ‘investigator’, ‘promotional’ and ‘indulgent’. An individual, he cautions, won’t necessarily sit in just one catgeory, though. “Embracing every type of snacker and occasion plays a vital role to win with snacks shoppers,” Mr Margin said. A manufacturer considering the growing number of snacking occasions is New World Foods. National Sales Manager Shane Merriman tells Retail World that this, along with nutritional expectations, is changing the way the company thinks about innovation. “Consumers are wanting more portable snacks tailored to their specific diets,” he said. “Emerging trends in the snack category include vegan options and diet trends that demand a high source of protein, including the Keto diet.” Last year, New World Foods introduced a Microwave Pork Crackle under the Mr Hamfreys brand. It’s said to be perfect for anyone on a Keto or Atkins diet. And in February, New World Foods launched a Veggie Jerky under its Kings brand. “This is a plant-based meat-free jerky offering 100 per cent plant protein,” Mr Merriman said. “Made from non- GMO ingredients, these snacks are also vegan friendly and cholesterol free.” SNACKS HUMAN BEAN CO: FABA BEANS MAKE FAB SNACKS Human Bean Co was born on a farm in Goondiwindi, Queensland where a family of farmers “who know beans” have been growing them since the 1950s. The company “carefully” sows, grows, harvests and seasons a faba bean snack. According to Chief Bean Officer Angus Woods, faba beans are a wholefood, naturally rich in nutrients, that naturally rejuvenate the earth by releasing valuable nitrogen into the soil as they grow. This makes the Human Bean brand a snack that “ticks all the boxes”, he says. The secret to the range, says Mr Woods, is a patented, unique air-puffing technique, which means no roasting or deep frying, creating a low-in-fat, saturated-fat-free snack that is “crunchier, lighter, tastier and super healthy”. The “vegan friendly” snack with a Health Star Rating of five is said to be “jam-packed” with plant protein and dietary fibre. “Everything we do, we’re trying to build off the inherent fact that our beans are allergen free, gluten free and nut free, so we want to maintain that all the way throughout to deliver a nutritious snack for consumers,” Mr Woods said. He adds that the pack features information about the Goondiwindi location of the Human Bean Co farm. “We really want people to know where their food comes from and to give people traceability from our paddock through to putting it in a finished pack,” he said. The snack is “air-tight sealed to harness maximum flavour and freshness” and comes in a recyclable and convenient on-the-go 20g pack and multi-packs. It is available in Lightly Salted, Pizza Supreme, Sea Salt & Vinegar, and Lime & Black Pepper flavours. “\[Humans and beans have\] all been living together for a long time, but beans have probably been regarded as a pretty boring product,” Mr Woods said. “Hopefully now, we’ve spiced them up and made them more relevant to consumers.” APR, 2020 RETAIL WORLD 45