Where next in snacking? Food industry experts weigh in

17-Aug-2018 - Last updated on 20-Aug-2018 at 23:15 GMT

What’s the motivation behind consumers’ snacking habits? According to Mintel research, 50% of US consumers said the top reason they snack is to treat themselves, and 28% agree that taste is more important than health when choosing a snack.

Is the market effectively responding to these consumer feelings towards snacking when the number of snacks with health-related claims continues to increase? Also, what snacking formats are here to stay and which will fizzle out?

Join us as we discuss these topics and more in FoodNavigator-USA’s FREE-to-attend 60-minute webinar on Wednesday, Sept. 26, where you can quiz experts on what consumers are actually eating in between meals and what the market data is telling us about the snacking category.

EVENT:The future of snacking: What are consumers craving?
START DATE: Wednesday Sept. 26, 2018
START TIME: 11:30am EST (NEW YORK)
DURATION: 60 minutes

AGENDA: Moderated by FoodNavigator-USA's senior correspondent, Mary Ellen Shoup, we'll discuss:

Market data: Who’s driving the growth and innovation in snacking? What does the data tells us about consumer demand and market opportunities?

Consumers and snacking: What do consumers want out of a snack? Is a snack being treated as an indulgence, energizing nourishment, or just an emergency bite to make it lunch and dinner?

Trendspotting: Refrigerated veggie and fruit bars? Seaweed snacks? Kelp jerky? Sprouted mung beans? We look at what turns a trend into a snacking staple.

Nutrition 101: Are we snacking too much? What does the ideal healthy snack look like from a nutritional perspective? Should veggies and fruit be the benchmark for all snacks?

The webinar will kick off with a look into the snacking market from Mintel followed by 35-40 minutes of panel discussion. We’ll leave the remaining 10-15 minutes for audience questions to our expert panel:

Lynn Dornblaser, director of innovation & insight, Mintel
Lynn Dornblaser brings 30 years of product trend knowledge to Mintel, which she joined in 1998. She applies her unique perspective on the market and new product development to tailored client research and to extensive public speaking. Prior to joining Mintel, Dornblaser covered new product trends at several trade magazine publishing companies, as editor and editorial director of publication New Product News. She has been quoted by major US news organizations, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times and CNN. In addition, Dornblaser has also served as keynote lecturer and speaker for numerous industry groups and sales forums.
Dornblaser holds a BS in Journalism from the University of Illinois and has also contributed to a textbook on new product development. She can usually be found in the aisles of a supermarket somewhere in the world.
She has been involved in the food industry since she was 10 years old, baking Swedish coffeecakes for her father to sell at his Swedish butcher shop. Dornblaser is also an avid fly-fisher and enjoys standing in stream with her fly rod and waders.

Tim Minges, co-founder, Nora Snacks

Tim has spent his entire career in the food industry, including 32 years at the senior most levels of PepsiCo, before “retiring” in 2016 to begin his new career developing and nurturing emerging food and beverage brands. He is the co-founder of Nora Snacks, a joint venture he formed with Asia’s leading seaweed snack company, Taokaenoi PCL, a listed company in Thailand. Nora will launch in the North America market this Fall.

Find out more about Tim’s background here, specifically how his affinity for Asia and Asian food and beverage products led him to introduce novel products to the North American market.

Brenden Schaefer founder & CEO, Bright Foods

Brenden Schaefer started Bright Foods with his friend Adam Razik after noticing the lack of fresh snacking options in the nutrition bar space. Schaefer and Razik launched Bright Bar earlier this year, described as the "love child of a cold-pressed juice and a bar”, the chilled bar is made with whole fruits, veggies, and nuts available in select Whole Foods stores in Southern California.

Prior to launching Bright Foods, Schaefer worked at PepsiCo as a marketing lead for emerging brands including Izze, Naked Juice, and O.N.E. Coconut Water.

Cassandra Umile, R.D., L.D.N. manager of nutrition services and food production, Kenny Family ShopRites of Delaware
Cassandra Umile works to bring healthy food and beverage items into the Kenny Family ShopRites of Delaware and to pioneer new ways to improve healthy purchases. Umile holds a Bachelor of Science in biology from Lehigh University and a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and dietetics from West Chester University. She completed her dietetic internship at Cedar Crest College.
She was recently named the 2018 Retail Dietitian of the Year by the Retail Dietitian Business Alliance.
Upon Cassandra receiving the award, owner and director of the Kenny Family ShopRites, Melissa Kenny commented, “The thing that impresses me most about Cassandra is her ability to try new ideas that improve the health of our customers and associates. Her ability to combine her business knowledge with her expertise on nutrition and understanding of the retail industry makes her an excellent retail dietitian.”