DELICACY IS PRECIOUS, BUT NATURAL ORGANIC FOOD IS MORE VALUABLE
Besides, better-for-you snacks made from natural and organic ingredients are also popular in the international market, such as vegetable crisps made from naturally grown crops like potatoes and broccoli, instead of using highly processed "powdered" ingredients like potato flour. In processing, the use of more healthy ways such as baking and air-drying instead of frying to maximize the retention of nutrients in food materials and remove sugar and trans fats to control the taste and undesirable ingredients. Food additives like preservatives, artificial pigments, spices,sweeteners and so on are also under strict control.
"Consumers are now paying more attention to healthy diet than in the past, especially those with higher consumption capability and knowledge and those who already have families with young children. They are more concerned about health and are willing to pay for healthy food at higher unit prices. They also look up the nutrition facts table to make sure there are no harmful substances in it or added to it." said Jason Chu, the director of Hong Kong Greencastle Trading Limited, "A truly organic, healthy snack should be free of any harmful ingredients. The simpler the ingredients, the better. Also, chemical additives should be avoided.”
Candice, director of the Foreign Trade Department at San Shu Gong Food Co.,Ltd., Taiwan, also put forward a similar point of view on consumer attitudes and the overall trend of snacks. She believes there has been a great shift in consumers' eating habits and beliefs. They used to pursue the taste on the tip of the tongue but now are more in pursuit of physical health. Therefore, snacks made from natural and organic ingredients are more in line with the healthy consumption concept, which is also one of the most important directions in snacks development. In addition, she adds, it is necessary to avoid using ingredients with allergens and to make corresponding adjustment in taste, such as reducing sugar or using sugar substitute to decrease the intake of sugar and calories.
For domestic consumers, though, taste remains the primary concern. But it's also true that people are starting to pay more attention to natural and organic food materials. As we mentioned before, 23% of Chinese consumers believe that "whether food is made with real ingredients" is the biggest factor in their willingness to buy, according to Innova Market Insights. Also, there are data showing that consumers’ awareness for green food has exceeded 80%, and the two key words "natural and organic" have been listed in the concept of betterfor-you snacks in recent years. Therefore, we can conclude that domestic consumers are increasing their attention to "whether snacks are made from natural and organic ingredients”.
In general, snacks which are not easy to cause obesity and can solve people’s appetite as well as meet the demand for health, are bound to have a broad market prospect. It may also serve as a guide and reference for food importers to import snacks from abroad.
Source: www.food2china.com
