How Snack Brands are Preparing for HFSS
Savoury snacks are growing and well-positioned to adapt to change. Despite the impending HFSS regulations (high-fat, salt and sugar) snack suppliers are upping their game to create products that offer functionality and permissible indulgence. Gone are the days thinking good-for-you meant sacrificing taste and enjoyment. Simply Roasted Crisps are here to give us a healthy insight into their range and a lowdown on HFSS regulations.
Positioned Between Health and Indulgence
HFSS (High Fat, Sugar, Salt) is essentially legislation to end the promotion of foods high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) by restricting volume promotions and placement in certain locations.
An HFSS product is a snack or soft drink that is high in fat, salt or sugar as classified by the Department of Health (DoH) nutrient profiling model. Foods scoring 4 or more points and drinks scoring 1 or more are classified as HFSS.
Our range of real, sliced potato crisps adhere to the HFSS guidelines as well as Public Health England’s savoury snack targets and we’re currently the only branded potato crisp to achieve this. We offer retailers and consumers all the health credentials associated with better-for-you snacks but provide the indulgence & taste of a traditional potato crisp. All the traditional flavours you’d expect; Sea Salt, Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar, Mature Cheddar & Red Onion with the addition of Black Truffle, our first foray into on-trend flavour profiles.
Bagged snacks are as popular as ever, with 66% of UK shoppers buying potato crisps most frequently versus nuts, better-for-you snacks & popcorn. (Lumina Intelligence Survey).
The pandemic undoubtedly changed our snacking behaviours, initially resulting in purchases focused on comfort, indulgent foods. However, with the Government’s emphasis on healthy diets and new HFSS restrictions coming into play later this year, there’s increasing consumer demand for nutritionally beneficial snacks. While 6 in 10 consumers are actively trying to choose healthier snacks, taste remains a key purchase driver for the category. (The Grocer bagged snack report 2021).
Over the past few years, better-for-you brands have been driving the innovation and growth in savoury snacks, proving the demand for low-fat, low-calorie snacks. There are some great products out there; Lentils, chickpeas, popcorn etc but all of them are an alternative to a potato crisp.
How Simply Roasted Will Reach Your Customers
Simply Roasted is disrupting the category as our range of sliced, potato crisps truly bridge’s the gap between indulgent and better-for-you brands. Imagine giving consumers everything they want from a crisp; crunch, flavour, satisfaction. and less of the things they don’t; calories, high fat & salt. Further than that, our whole range is gluten-free and a mix of vegan & vegetarian SKU’s ensuring you’re offering products across different dietary requirements.
There’s a huge amount of work & expertise that’s gone into the product & brand creation prior to launching into market. Product profiles were developed on a taste first, health second basis. Our packaging is purposely simplistic to create a bold, modern design that’s a fundamental part of our brand & on-shelf strategy. All independent retailers will be supported trade marketing activities alongside our marketing & PR strategy to build brand awareness.
Simply Roasted is the result of a £20million investment & 10 years-worth of R&D work, culminating in an IP patented cooking technology delivering genuine innovation in this category. The all natural, skin-on crisps are 50% lower in fat, 25% lower in salt & less than 99 calories per serving without compromising on flavour or taste.
A High Growth Snack Opportunity for Retailers
Despite only launching in January, with the unique positioning between health and indulgence, an experienced team and an award-winning range we’re the opposite of a traditional start-up and we’re confident we’ll add incremental growth to the savoury snacking category.
New HFSS restrictions will come into force in October 2022, potentially creating the biggest disruption within mainstream retail in decades. Despite worries around the financial implications and an estimated 8% loss of sales within crisps, snacks & nuts it’s a tremendous opportunity for NPD, challenger brands to gain key visibility in-stores and retailers to re-establish their category average price without the impact of deep promotions.
Alongside calorie & fat health claims, functional ingredients within grab and go formats could become increasingly popular as consumers seek out extra health benefits. Despite the traditional flavour profiles of Salted, Salt & Vinegar and Cheese & Onion continuing to dominate, new & on-trend flavours will help drive trial & maintain excitement in the channel.
Ordering Simply Roasted & Healthy Snacks with Epicurium
As experts in wholesome snacks, the team at Epicurium have curated an range of best in class healthy snacks for retailers – from sure fire hits to some of the freshest new brands on the market. Take a look at some of the new products you could be stocking to capture a greater share of the snacking audience. With a quick turnaround of 24-48 hours, no minimum order number and free delivery on any order over £80, our team here at Epicurium can have you tapping into freshest healthy snack and crisp alternatives in no time.
All links noted here:
- https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/trend-reports/lockdown-snacking-healthy-options-and-recycling-10-charts-explaining-uk-attitudes-to-bagged-snacks/660051.article
- https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2021/12/23/UK-HFSS-rules-the-most-significant-in-store-changes-seen-in-decades-but-will-they-hit-unhealthy-sales
- https://store.mintel.com/report/uk-consumer-snacking-market-report
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