California almonds now star in every category of the store, from plant-based dairy and nut butters to protein shakes and gourmet salad oils. So where are the new growth opportunities, and how is the industry dealing with questions about sustainability and honeybee (pollinator) health?
To learn more, FoodNavigator-USA joined a tour hosted by the Almond Board of California of almond growers, processors and CPG brands in Sacramento, visiting key players from Blue Diamond Almonds (pictured) and Mariani Nut Co, to artisanal almond oil brand La Tourangelle. (Photo: Kevin Fiscus Photography for Almond Board of California.)
First, the numbers. While US consumption of all treenuts is on the rise, Americans eat WAY more almonds than anything else, according to USDA data.
And when it comes to almond production, the US leads the global pack, producing 80% of the world's almonds.
The vast majority of almonds grown in the US come from California, with almond bearing acreage increasing from 777,000 acres in 2010 to 1.17million acres in 2019. This year’s crop (2019/20) is looking to come in at around 2.5bn lbs (vs 2.27bn lbs in 2018/19).
Most of the almonds grown in California are consumed in the US, with India the #1 export market in crop year 2018/19, followed by Spain, China/Hong Kong, Germany, and Japan, said Emily Fleischmann, VP global market development at the Almond Board of California.
Nut-fueled snack maker KIND is the first brand to reduce calorie counts on labels to reflect USDA research suggesting that traditional methods for calculating energy have significantly overstated the metabolizable energy (and therefore the available calories) from whole almonds and other nuts.
Research conducted by Dr David Baer and others at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) shows that calories in whole almonds are around 20% lower than previously thought, as when you bite into a whole almond and break it up into smaller pieces, some of these fragments pass through your digestive system intact, taking the energy they contain with them.
New research suggests that almonds - which provide 4g fiber and 6g protein per serving - may also be good for skin, with a human study at UC Davis showing improvements in wrinkle depth and severity after almond consumption in post menopausal women using high resolution facial imaging.
A follow-up study at UC Davis includes a larger group of women and will also assess changes in the skin’s microbiome, while a second study at UCLA will investigate the influence of regular almond consumption on skin glow, elasticity, sebum and hydration in Asian women.
At Blue Diamond, bolder, spicier, and fermented flavors are gaining popularity, with spicy dill pickle - its latest flavor innovation - hitting stores in the spring reflecting growing interest in pickle recipes being shared on social media. (Photo: Kevin Fiscus Photography for Almond Board of California.)
Other recent innovations from Blue Diamond include the Crafted Gourmet line, promising a 'charcuterie board experience' and upmarket flavors such as Sea Salt & Rosemary, and Garlic Herb & Olive Oil; and the new Almonds & Fruit line, with novel sweet and savory flavor combinations such as Firey Ghost Pepper Almonds & Tart Cherry, and Sweet Cardamom Almonds & Honeycrisp Apple.
Blue Diamond's Almond Breeze brand has recently expanded into non-dairy creamers, yogurts, and refrigerated banana-almond milk (made with real banana puree as its second ingredient as opposed to banana flavor).
Blue Diamond's almond protein powder - made by expeller pressing almonds to remove the oil, partially defatting the remaining cake, and milling it to create a fine powder - has a clean taste, allowing formulators to use it without adding sugars or flavors to mask off tastes associated with some other plant proteins, claims the firm, which has just released it as a consumer product on Amazon. (Photo: Kevin Fiscus Photography for Almond Board of California.)
'Varietals' are something consumers think about when choosing wine, but not almonds, says Mariani Nut Co... with one exception. With a sweetner, more buttery taste, softer texture, and higher oil content, the rounder, plumper Marcona variety - traditionally grown in Spain, but now grown in California - is gaining traction in the US.
Beber is seeking to carve a distinct niche in the almondmilk category with a premium, clean label refrigerated product made with five times more almonds than mainstream brands, delivering 5g protein and 11g fat per serving. (Photo: Kevin Fiscus Photography for Almond Board of California.)
The brand, which has a 7-day shelf life and is packaged in glass with unusual flavors such as lavendar and honey vanilla, is exploring UV pasteurization, something that has not been used in the nutmilk category before, in order to increase its shelf life and expand its distribution, said owner Arielle Danan.
La Tourangelle's roasted almond oil - packaged in distinctive recyclable tin cans to protect it from oxidation - is ideal for salads and other dishes as a finishing oil, while its refined almond oil - which has a higher smoke point - is suitable for frying. (Photo: Kevin Fiscus Photography for Almond Board of California.)
Maisie Jane's almond butter only has one ingredient: dry roasted California almonds... and no palm oil (Photo: Kevin Fiscus Photography for Almond Board of California.)
Boutique chocolate maker Ginger Elizabeth - which operates a wholesale confectionery business and two retail outlets - uses locally-sourced almonds in everything from chocolate bon bons and ice cream to coconut strawberry macarons (pictured). Photo: Kevin Fiscus Photography for Almond Board of California
Devil May Care ice cream in Sacramento - run by Chef Jess Milbourn - also uses almonds as a base in selected dairy-free products, and notes that customers with a dairy allergy or lactose intolerance ask for 'non-dairy,' whereas those "making a dietary choice" will ask for 'vegan' products.
No one, as yet, has asked for 'plant-based' ice cream, says Milbourn, who is known for his experimental limited edition flavors, from 'cold pizza' and 'chipotle fudge' to 'chicken & waffles,' and 'coffee & donuts.'
California's almond growers recently committed to the following goals by 2025: Reduce the amount of water used to grow a pound of almonds by 20%; achieve zero waste in orchards by putting everything grown to optimal use; increase adoption of environmentally friendly pest management tools by 25%; and reduce dust during almond harvest by 50%.
Almond trees don't last forever, and thousand acres of old almond orchards are removed annually. Instead of burning them in the field, or sending them to biomass power generation plants, growers are now encouraged to grind up old trees, spread the wood chips across the field and work them into the soil prior to replanting to improve soil health and sequester carbon. Photo: UC Davis
Over the past two decades, almond farmers have reduced the amount of water needed to grow a pound of almonds by 33% via improved production practices and adoption of efficient micro-irrigation - whereby flexible plastic tubing at ground level allows farmers to aim water at trees’ root zones instead of across an entire field, reducing water lost to evaporation and obviating the need for large impact sprinklers or the flooding of graded fields.
By 2025, the California almond community commits to reduce the amount of water used to grow a pound of almonds by an additional 20%, said Tom Devol at the ABC.
Another area the ABC has been researching is groundwater recharge, whereby almond orchards might play a role as a sink for excess winter rains which could be used to flood orchards during winter dormancy and percolate down into aquifers, which under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act must be managed sustainably, such that groundwater drawn out is matched by what’s put back in. (Photo: Kevin Fiscus Photography for Almond Board of California.)
More farmers are also adopting demand-based irrigation systems that monitor weather, soil moisture and plant needs in real time to determine the most effective irrigation protocols, said Alex Bergwerff, farm manager at Winters Farming: "We are only using exactly the water that we need."
Winters Farming has also been ahead of the game when it comes to 'self-fertile' almond varieties that don't need bees - or at least as many bees - for pollination, growing several acres of the Independence variety and testing the Shasta variety.
“Independence almonds are soft shelled large kernel nuts with higher yields and a higher meat to shell ratio, but they don’t look or taste the same as Nonpareil so while you can use them in almondmilk, the main market is for inshell almonds going overseas to markets such as China and India.
“They’re not in demand for bakery and confectionery applications where people are looking for varieties such as Nonpareil. We’ve just started growing Shasta self-pollinating almonds so it will be a couple of years before we get any nuts from them, but we’ve heard they are more like Carmel almonds [which are ideal for bakery and confectionery items].”
While the Independence variety only accounts for a fraction of the overall California almond crop, it has grown from 0% of the crop in 2008/9 to 5% of the crop in 2018/19, making it the fastest-growing variety when it comes to new acreage.
Readers of The Guardian’s recent report on pollinating California’s almond crop (‘Like sending bees to war: the deadly truth behind your almond milk obsession’) were left with a clear message: honey bees are dying en masse, and almond growers luring them to “the toxic chemical soup of California’s Central Valley” are directly responsible.
The truth, as always, is more complicated, claims Dr Josette Lewis, ABC's director of agricultural affairs, who likes to preface any conversation on this topic with the observation that almond growers are pretty motivated when it comes to ensuring honey bees are healthy and happy, given that it costs them almost $400/acre (two hives at c.$200 apiece) to hire these furry little pollinators upon which the success of their crop entirely depends. Read more HERE
Photo: Gettyimages/bo1982