Tropes

WS_1452 00997.txt

SWEETS and SNACKS 2012 Trends: Sharing Sweets, Mango Mania, Healthy Snackingchicago, May 8, 2012/PRNEWSWIRE/--Fun fruits and shared sweets, foreign flavors and healthy snacks are emerging as the 2012 trends to meet the ever-evolving appetites of consumers. Starting today, thousands of new confectionery and snack foods will be revealed May 8 10 during the 2012 SWEETS & SNACKS EXPOÂ in Chicago. The SWEETS & SNACKS EXPOÂ features the hottest new products from more than 560 companies leading the industry with the new flavors that meet consumers'tastes and invite them to unwrap a little happiness. The National Confectioners Association took to the streets to measure the Happiness Quotient of Chicagoans this week before and after receiving a small"Happiness"bag filled with a few pieces of candy. One hundred percent of those surveyed reported that even the small bag of candy brought happiness to their day, increasing their happiness quotient by an average of 22 percent. Additionally, the survey revealed that consumers choose to snack because they like the taste (29 percent), and because snack food brings them happiness (29 percent).**"Trends in confectionery and snacks for 2012 are pushing new boundaries. As consumer palates become more complex, flavor profiles across the industry are doing the same, "said Larry Graham, president of the National Confectioners Association.""People are looking beyond borders and convention for what's next; whether its crunchy snacks with Asian or Mediterranean influences, the growing popularity of all things salty and sweet, or tropical fruit flavors such as mango.""Top Consumer Snack Trends 2012: Sweets are for Sharing Consumers celebrate"sweet"moments in life together by indulging in affordable treats.""Share bags"stand-up bags to share with family and friends and informally gift to others and theater boxes have increased in popularity and are becoming more widely available at retail. Perfect Pairings: Sweet & Salty The widely popular pairing of"salty and sweet"remains an American favorite. This year there are a variety of new products with this flavor coupling, from milk chocolate-covered raisins and peanuts to cinnamon sugar popcorn, chocolate-covered pretzels, potato chips and more! Flavors Beyond Borders In addition to the popularity of all things sweet and salty, snacks with Middle Eastern, Asian and Mediterranean-influenced flavors are popping up on store shelves. A number of snacks coming to market are based on chickpeas, lentils and seaweed, providing alternative choices to American classics such as potato chips, corn tortilla chips and wheat crackers. Mango Mania A new generation of tropical fruit flavors is appearing on store shelves with mango leading the way. Pairing mango with pineapple, orange, coconut and strawberry to create new confectionery flavors is gaining popularity, but the tropical fruit is also making its way to the snack aisle, from freeze dried fruits to mouth-watering salsas and more. Packing a Healthy Punch Healthy snacking continues to gain momentum this year. The top growing snack item is nutritional health bars *and many new snacks provide a variety of health advantages. Whether gluten-free, all-natural, made from whole grains, or including B vitamins and antioxidants, there's no doubt consumers can find a snack packing the healthy punch they want

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