Fresh fruit is the number one snacking item in the US, mainly because it is eaten during the day and therefore features in more snacking opportunities, according to a new study called Snacking in America from the NPD Group and reported by The Perishable News.
Over the course of the two-year period ended March 2012, fresh fruit was consumed as a snack in 10 more snacking occasions annually than chocolate, the number two snacking item, and 25 more times in a year than potato chips, the third-most popular snack food, NPD said.
NPD’s study also indicated that fresh fruit is a popular snack item because it appeals to all age groups, according to the report.
Consumers aged 65 years and older eat the most fruit, revealed The Perishable News, followed by children under 12, while teenagers, aged between 13 and 17, eat the least amount of fruit as snacks although their consumption level increases as they get older.
NPD's report highlighted that healthier snack consumers snack more often between meals and eat a wider variety of healthy snacks, indicating that the healthier a person’s eating habits, the more frequently they snack between meals on healthy items, such as fruit, yoghurt and bars.
“Among the opportunities this trend presents to producers and produce retailers is to market and merchandise fruit around the activities during which it is most likely to be eaten, usage can be expanded with packaging innovation and promotions for on-the-go activities when it’s least likely to be consumed,” explained Darren Seifer, food and beverage industry analyst at NPD.
One out of every five eating occasions is a snack; meaning snacking represents 20 per cent of in-home and away from home meals by occasion, the study highlighted.
In-home morning snacking has shown the strongest growth in recent years, according to NPD, with an increase of 22 morning snacks per person since 2002.
