Sneaking goodness into snacks

Researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK say they may have found a way to ‘sneak’ nutrients into children’s snacks.

The team from the Manchester Food Research Centre, based at the university, has been testing extruded snacks made from fruit powders against popular brands Quavers and Wotsits.

And in taste tests with schoolchildren in the area, the fruit snacks scored an impressive four out of five.

Staff researchers Valentina Stojceska and Andrew Plunkett, and student Ruth Potter – who chose to research the project for her final year dissertation – asked children to rate the appearance and taste of the samples on a scale of one to five.

The tangerine and apple flavoured snacks scored highest, with banana being the least popular.

“This type of research could help fight childhood obesity and make snacking more healthy,” says Dr Stojceska. “While it is too early to say what commercial opportunities this might present, there is currently very little information about this field and it will give direction to manufacturers in terms of producing this sort of snack.”