Fruit & veg snacks popular in Europe and Asia-Pacific

Fresh fruit is the world’s most eaten snack (chocolate ranks second), but food preferences between cultures and countries vary in terms of healthy versus indulgent aspects.
Even though fruit is a significant snack globally, and even vegetables are popular in the Asia-Pacific region (57%), cheese is the most eaten snack in Europe (58%), bread/sandwiches in the Middle East (47%), ice cream in Latin America (63%) and potato/tortilla crisps in the US (63%).
Global snacking sales reached $374 billion in 2014 and are growing, says Mark Gillespie, the Global Service Client Director at Nielsen.
At the Fi Europe fair in Paris last December, he shared insights from a survey of 30,000 online consumers from 60 countries. Among them were that people eat snacks at home (79%) with family and friends (68%) and “they stick to the basics – all natural, no artificial colours, GMO-free with natural flavours.
Natural ingredients are rated as very important by 45% of global respondents due to environmental awareness, too,” Gillespie said. Also very important are being sustainable (35%) and organic (34%).

Snacking favourites by region:

• Asia-Pacific: chocolate, fresh fruit, vegetables and cookies/biscuits.

• Europe: fresh fruit, cheese, yoghurt and vegetables.

• Middle East/Africa: fresh fruit, chocolate, bread/sandwich & potato crisps/ tortilla crisps

• Latin America: yoghurt, cheese, ice cream.

• North America: potato crisps/tortilla crisps, chocolate, cheese and cookies/biscuits.

The good news is that snacks are still considered ‘in-between meals’ rather than meal replacements. Long life to fresh food!

CVA