SNACKING BEHAVIOR

According to SNAC International’s 2024 State of the Industry report¹, the salty snacks category posted 6.9% growth with more than $31.1 billion in dollar sales. Social conversations about Snack have increased by 24.67% over the past year, per Tastewise². Consumers love their snacks and snacking is ingrained in our culture. Technomic’s 2025 Snacking Consumer Trend report³ found that 75% of Americans surveyed snacked at least once a day in 2024, and 52% snacked at least twice daily. Circana’s research⁴ showed nearly half of Americans (48.8%) snack three or more times a day, a 2.7% increase year-over-year, with younger demographics (ages 18-44) leading the charge. Shopkick by Trax⁵ surveyed 10,000 Americans to learn about their snacking habits and preferences. More than half of consumers buy snacks regularly: 48% purchase snack foods a few times a week, while 10% purchase them daily. 35% buy them monthly and only 7% rarely buy snacks. The survey also found that most snacking occurs in the afternoon and evening, with 46% of Americans snacking in the afternoon and 41% in the evening. Savory, culinary-inspired flavors, along with trending pizza flavors and healthier formulas, are driving innovation in the salty snack industry.

TASTE & FLAVOR DRIVE SNACK CONSUMPTION

According to Mondelez International’s annual State of Snacking report⁶, consumers are increasingly craving new snack adventures that spark joy in their lives, with 75% agreeing they get excited about finding a new snack to try. Fortunately, for consumers, there are a plethora of snacks and flavors available. According to Shopkick⁵, 59% of snackers choose salty options like chips, crackers, popcorn, pretzels, nuts, and jerky. Followed by 20% who seek sweet snacks like candy, cookies, granola bars, and baked goods. 72% of consumers favor salty flavors, while 63% enjoy sweet flavors. 44% crave cheesy flavors, followed by 40% fruity, and 26% spicy options.

Innova’s data⁷ found that taste is the primary driver of global snack consumption and flavors play a crucial role in satisfying cravings. Across generations, nearly three-quarters of consumers (74%) refuse to sacrifice taste when selecting their snacks. Baby Boomers are the most unwilling to compromise on taste (84%), followed by Gen Xers (75%), according to Frito-Lay’s U.S. Snack Index⁸. Globally, savory/salty snack innovations average around 25,000 new products annually. Salty is the most popular flavor, accounting for 7.9% of new savory and salty snack launches. Compared to consumers globally, Innova’s research⁹ showed consumers in the U.S., led by younger consumers, over-index in their purchases of many types of salty snacks.

Consumers are drawn to bold and ethnic flavors, with 49% of global consumers stating that they have sought intense or bold flavors over the past year⁷. Flavorists and consumer packaged goods are delivering, and the sky is the limit for creativity. From straightforward flavors to meal-inspired flavors, there is a variety of market innovations. For example, last year Fly By Jing x Irvins Chili Crisp Potato Chips launched, featuring Fly By Jing’s well-known Sichuan Chili Crisp flavor. In February, Pringles released limited-edition Loaded Potato Skins as part of its “Game Day Flavors” campaign. The Loaded Potato Skins highlight “the flavors of butter, cheese, bacon, sour cream, and green onions, aiming to replicate the classic appetizer in chip form.” In May, Pringles will launch Pringles x Miller Lite Beer Can Chicken, featuring flavors of roasted chicken and Miller Lite beer for grilling season. The Lay’s Do Us a Flavor 2025 finalists include Bacon & Grilled Cheese, Korean-Style Fried Chicken, and Valentina & Lime featuring Valentina Mexican Hot Sauce. The voting is from April 21 until June 13, 2025. Japanese snack company Calbee introduced Asian Style Chips in four flavors: Chinese-Style Spicy Hot Pot, Korean-Style Spicy BBQ, Thai-Style Yellow Curry, and Umami Salt. Doritos launched Flamin’ Hot Korean-Style BBQ, which is “made with a fusion of sweet soy, savory grilled beef, and kick of Flamin’ Hot heat,” exclusively available at Walmart. Available for a limited time, Subway and Doritos partnered on the release of Doritos Footlong Nachos, which are prepared to order. It features classic Doritos Nacho Cheese flavored chips, layered with Cheddar cheese sauce, shredded Monterey cheddar cheese, jalapeno, diced tomatoes, red onions, and Baja Chipotle sauce with a choice of Rotisserie-style chicken or steak.

Trilogy flavor chemists blend science, creativity, and culinary expertise to craft snack flavors that satisfy cravings and create notable taste experiences. Contact us to discuss your snack needs or request samples today.

PIZZA IN A SNACK

Pizza Hut’s second annual Pizza Trends report¹⁰revealed that Americans collectively consume about 95 billion pizza slices annually. According to Innova⁹, sea salt and salty flavors continue to lead savory snacks with cheese widely used in product innovation. Trendincite LLC¹¹ identified pizza as coming in hot with a variety of trends including alternative formats. It’s no wonder that brands are experimenting with pizza-flavored snacks in an array of applications to meet consumer demand.

Cheetos has reintroduced Cheetos Puffs Cheese Pizza Flavor, which was last available two decades ago. Imane Anys, a Twitch streamer known as Pokimane, and Darcey Macken collaborated on the healthy Myna Snacks brand targeted at gamers. The latest launch is gluten-free, Pizza Crackers, which was developed because the gamer community “wanted the iconic flavors of pizza in a form that’s perfect for munching during screen time.” Cheez-It has expanded its portfolio with the introduction of Cheez-It Snap’d Extra Crunchy Margherita Pizza and Cheez-It Duoz Pesto + Mozzarella. The Cheez-It Snap’d is coated in Margherita pizza seasoning “featuring the sweetness of tangy tomato, bright notes of basil and olive oil, and the creaminess of mozzarella.” The Pesto & Mozzarella Duoz is a “blend of green herbs, olive oil, and savory Italian cheeses, balanced with a hint of garlic.” Cheez-It is expanding into the frozen pizza aisle with Original Cheez-It flavored cracker-thin crust pizzas. The Cheez-It Pizzas are available in three flavors: Cheddar Jack Supreme (Italian sausage, pepperoni, green and red peppers, black olives, onions, yellow cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheese), Italian Four Cheese, and Pepperoni. General Mills has been focused on pizza flavors appearing in unexpected applications. For example, the limited-edition Cinnamon Toast Crunch Totino’s Pizza Flavor cereal launch combined savory and sweet flavors. Also inspired by Totino’s Pizza Rolls, the brand debuted Totino’s Ramen Noodles in Cheese Pizza and Buffalo-Style Chicken Pizza flavors, exclusively sold at Walmart. Caffeine-free soda brand Perfy released a limited-edition Pepperoni Pizza-flavored soda.

From cheese to pepperoni, Trilogy offers pizza flavors for your snack formulas. Get’em while they’re hot and request your samples here.

HEALTH-CONSCIOUS

Consumers’ dietary habits are evolving as they seek better-for-you snacks to align with their health and lifestyle goals. According to Future Market Insights, Inc.¹², the global Better-for-You Snacks market is expected to reach $54.4 billion by 2035. SNAC International’s research¹ found that consumers want healthier snacks with 39% of salty snack consumers saying they would purchase more better-for-you snacks if available. 55% of consumers cited protein as the most important health claim. Similarly, 71% of consumers reported gravitating toward healthier snack options, according to Shopkick⁵. Furthermore, research revealed labels and nutrients influence purchase behavior.

Snack labels consumers seek:

“Organic” 30%
“Sugar-free” 26%
“Non-GMO” 18%
“Plant-based” 7%
“GLP-1 friendly,” “Keto-friendly” and “Gluten-free” 6%

The most important “nutrients” to healthy snackers:

Protein 55%
Fiber 17%
Healthy fats and vitamins & minerals tie at 14%

Brands are creating better-for-you snacks using cleaner formulas and plant-based ingredients. For example, the Simply better- for-you brand by Frito‑Lay refreshed its line with four new flavors, which are made without artificial flavors or colors. The two Doritos varieties, Zesty Cool Ranch and White Cheddar Nacho, are made with whole grains. Tostitos Sea Salt chips are made with avocado oil while the Hot & Spicy Ruffles feature a red pepper spice blend. Lay’s also introduced Poppables Sweet Potato Sea Salt, its first sweet potato product in the U.S. Grillo’s Pickles and Hippeas collaborated on the Grillo’s Dill Pickle Chickpea Puffs. Garden Veggie Snacks launched two new varieties of its Flavor Burst Tortilla Chips: Smoky BBQ and Sweet Tangy Chili. Upcycled-focused snack brand B-Sides launched Crunch Puffs. The plant-based snack is formulated with leftover oats and comes in Cheddar, Jalapeño, and Ranch flavors.

With a library of flavors and essential ingredients to satisfy the requirements of clean label, organic, non-GMO, and kosher qualifications, Trilogy offers an array of salty and savory flavors for plant-based snacks. Request your samples here.

SNACKING IS INGRAINED IN OUR CULTURE

Snacking is a cultural phenomenon ingrained in our everyday lives. Consumers seek adventure through flavor and are attracted to bold and ethnic flavors. They eat salty snacks because they are tasty and offer emotional rewards such as pleasure and relaxation. 47% of Americans’ snack purchases are influenced by taste followed by price for 36% of snackers, according to Shopkick⁵. The trends happening in the culinary scene inspire new flavors and trickle down into snacks. Snacks provide a playground of flavors and textures that engage consumers in enjoyable sensory experiences creating opportunities for flavor suppliers and consumer packaged goods to experiment. From classic salty and savory to complex flavors that mimic meals to better-for-you formulas, innovation is cooking in snacks. Let Trilogy satisfy your customers’ cravings for innovative snack flavors. Contact us today and request your samples here.

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