Almonds are the number one nut across snacks, bars, and dairy
The Almond Board of California says that almonds offer food manufacturers "extensive versatility" when it comes to product innovation during this time.
According to data from Innova Market Insights’ Global New Product Introductions report, almonds have maintained their top spot as the most used nut in product introductions across Europe in 2022 for the eighth year running.
Almonds’ versatility and suitability for a range of diet and lifestyle choices has ensured their sustained popularity in Europe. In fact, over 5,000 new almond products were introduced last year, accounting for 43.7% of global almond introductions, the largest share globally. Additionally, five European countries feature in the top ten countries for almond introductions with Germany, France, Spain and the UK leading across the region.
Consumers are continuing to prioritise their health, with on-pack messaging a go-to source of information. Almonds’ strong nutritional profile and ability to respond to a variety of health needs including free-from and keto, means manufacturers can feel confident in using them to add a ‘health halo’ to new product innovations. In the UK, there’s a higher than average use of health claims on products with almonds, with “vegetarian” and “vegan” being the most used*.
Sustained demand for plant-based is driving innovation in this space, especially for standalone plant-based products beyond meat and dairy substitutes. Almonds are the leading nut when it comes to plant-based claims on new product introductions in Europe thanks to their natural protein and ability to pair well with other plant proteins like legumes and lentils.
Almonds are helping solve the challenge of taste and texture in plant-based food. According to Innova Market Insights, 32% of global consumers would still like to see improved texture in plant-based products. Almonds can deliver on both taste and texture when added to plant-based products. This is also reflected in the data, where crunchy and creamy are the top two texture claims on almond introductions.
Almonds are the most popular nut in new product launches across snacks, bars and dairy categories. Confectionery leads the way in terms of volume for almond introductions in Europe comprising 26.1% of the share.
Lu Ann Williams, global insights director at Innova Market Insights comments: “It’s unsurprising that almonds remain the number one nut in new product introductions when they’re able to satisfy a range of consumer demands from healthy indulgence to plant-based, thanks to their nutritional profile and versatility.”
Dariela Roffe-Rackind, director, Europe and global public relations at the Almond Board of California added: “It’s great to see product developers continuing to turn to almonds to meet consumer needs in increasingly innovative ways. As consumer demand continues to evolve, manufacturers can be reassured that almonds will add value to their products as a responsibly-grown, versatile and nutritious ingredient.”
