The snacking market is being revolutionised ferrous fumarate 322 mg tabletsby a consumer backlash against sugar, salt and artificial ingredients, as well as changing lifestyle and personal wellbeing, reports Euromonitor International at the Consumer Analyst Group Europe Conference in London, UK recently.###Its data show that healthy snacks sales will rise by 3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over 2016-2021 compared to ‘conventional’ snacks, which will increase by 2%.###While growth of ‘conventional’ snacks is boosted by emerging markets, its mature markets such as Western Europe and North America driving the growth of healthy snack – a trend that is expected to intensify.###“Snacks used to be biscuits, confectionery, crisps and soft drinks but consumers’ desire to migrate to ssolgar calcium citrate with vitamin d3nacking options with a higher emphasis on healthy, all-natural and free-from is redefining the industry,” says Lianne van den Bos, global lead analyst.###“We are now seeing a movement towards healthier snacks such as yoghurt, milk drinks, energy bars and nuts, as a growing segment of the non-snack food market is rebranding itself as snack replacements.”###Euromonitor forecasts that yogurt and sour milk products will represent 15.8% of the snack market in 2021, up from 11.1% in 2002.###Furthermore, chocolate confectionery’s share of snack will decrease from 17.9% in 2002 to 16.2% in 2021.###Winning product categories###To change the growth trajectory of chocolate and remain relevant in the healthy snacking era, the chocolate industry is redesigning its offering from texture to flavor, ingredients to packaging.###While chocolate volumes are declining, values still offer a huge opportunity.  ###Van den Bos explains, magnesium citrate shelf life“How we apply wellbeing is changing.”###“Before it was reducing sugar, now it’s about high quality ingredients, better taste, and moderation.”###“Some of the current value gain strategies in chocolate have been centred around its attributes,” she says.###“In fact big successes have been booked by the sudden popularity of dark chocolate, which is positioned as a healthier alternative to other types of chocolate.” ###“If you’re going to go for chocolate which we know is bad, better go for the best kind of bad.”###Handling disruption###Competing in the premium space means understanding evolved consumer needs, which should take into account emotion and self-expressive benefits.  ###Small start-ups have tapped into social trends of personal wellbeing and changing lifestyle quicker than big food companies, eating their market share. ###The year 2016 saw a dip in the combined share of the top 20 companies, after years of growth.###Van den Bos continucentrum calcium citratees, “In 2017, trying to change things for the better becoming increasingly important.”###“Living in a conflict-ridden world, consumers – especially younger consumers – want to enrich lives and preserve the earth’s natural resources.”###“In this environment, their expectations regarding brands are growing.”###This disrupted consumers environment is not necessarily a threat but can become an opportunity for chocolate manufacturers who embrace it and respond to new consumers’ demasuper magnesium aspartate lactate and citratends.###“Lessons can be learned from coffee’s revolutionary growth strategy which managed to turn a simple drink into a little luxury, a treat that fits in well with fast-paced lifestyles,” she says.###“In that sense chocolate has a role to play to position itself towards mental wellbeing, a moment of premium indulgence, as opposed to competing against healthier snacks with reduced calories.”###“When selling premium chocolate, consumers need to be educated on premium ingredients, cocoa content and origin, something for which foodservice outlets are a great point of contact,” concludes van den Bos.