Healthy snacks head for the confectionery counter

There's not much of it in our banking system, and only a few shreds of it in the political world. But one area where consumer demands for greater transparency are being convincingly met is on store shelves. In the past three months alone a number of key UK brands have relaunched their snacking products with leaner, cleaner and much less meaner identities.

"Knowing what is in their food is key for consumers," says Liane Barratt of brand consultancy Dragon Rouge. "A new era has arrived where ingredients are shown proudly on front of pack there is nothing to hide, but everything to share."

New products such as Warburtons' SnackaDoodle wholegrain snacks are a good example. The high-fibre crispy snacks are made of 70% wholegrains and contain no artificial ingredients or MSG, and just 84 calories per bag.

And who could forget the launch of Walker's 99 Calorie range at the end of last year? With beach holidays beckoning, the range big brand favourites Quavers, Wotsits, Squares and French Fries is proving to be a roaring success with health-conscious women.

And long-established brands are also doing their bit for the nation's heart and waistline, says Food and Drink Federation communications director Julian Hunt. "UK food manufacturers are leading the world when it comes to innovating in this area. Nearly 250 reformulated products were launched in the first six months of 2009 and in the 18-month period since January 2008 there have been more than 700 product lines launched with new recipes the equivalent of nine a week, more than in any other European country."

United Biscuits has made a number of nutritional upgrades to some of its best-selling brands, including McCoy's, which recently lowered its saturated fat content by 30%, helping to grow sales to £88m.

"Consumers want manufacturers to make every effort to produce products that fit into their daily lives and help achieve a healthier balance," says UBUK commercial manager Nick Stuart.

"Healthy eating and healthier alternatives continue to be significant profit opportunities for retailers," he adds. "Independents who don't stock the right mix of healthy products will see their business suffer as customers will go elsewhere to get what they want. While historically women have been seen to be the main purchasers of healthier alternatives, we are witnessing strong sales growth among men, so retailers should be stocking products accordingly."

Rich pickings

One healthy snacking product category which certainly has no need for reformulation, but has the potential to transform retailers' fortunes, is fresh fruit.

More than 45% of people claim that they are meeting the recommended target of five portions of fruit and veg a day and, according to the IGD, this number is expected to continue rising. And with this surge lies a massive opportunity for convenience stores, says retail marketer Stephanie Rice.

Rice, who is also helping to promote the government-funded Change4Life scheme, understands the fears that some retailers have about fresh produce, but says that if the correct practices are adopted, all stores, even those in "tough urban areas", can profit from promoting single-portion fruits as healthy alternatives to traditional confectionery snacks.

"The truth is that convenient snacking fruits such as apples, bananas and satsumas should be treated in the same way as impulse confectionery items," she says.

Rice recommends locating products in high-traffic areas, ideally near the checkout. They should also be displayed as single items rather than pre-packed, and be clearly priced by the piece.

"Many retailers have found that they have doubled the amount of bananas they sold by simply removing the packaging and selling them as single items at an attractive price. This appeals to school children who have limited spend, mothers who are looking for a healthy snack for their younger children, and those lunchtime and on-the-go customers who are there to buy a sandwich and want a complementary item," Rice says.

Stores which have adhered to this advice have seen sales soar by up to 40%, she adds.

And all this fanfare around fresh fruit is helping to drive innovation in its other forms. The past month alone has seen a raft of new 'formed fruit' smoothie bars, ambient pot products such as Dole's low-fat fruit custard range, and even purée pouches, hit the shelves.

Dried fruit snacks are selling strongly, too. Shirley Griffiths, marketing manager for Sun-Maid California Raisins, says that sales of both its 14.1g boxes and larger 42.5g snack packs are in annual growth. "Our sun-dried raisins are 100% natural. They're just 'grapes and sunshine'."

Well, you can't be much more transparent than that, can you?