Almond usage is on the up
The almond has been the number one nut eight years running, increasing in popularity by 35% last year, compared with 10% in 2010, says the report.
More than 7,893 new products in 2013 contained almonds and Europe led the market by launching 3,922 of those, it adds.
Snacking foods most popular
Snacking foods featuring almonds are the most popular, making the category the largest in the world for growth in 2013, followed by bakery (39%) and cereals (37%).
Confectionery was the leading sector for new almond introductions and had a 30% global share in 2013, according to the report.
“Almonds continue to grow in popularity every year and really stand out in nutritious snacking,” says Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova.
‘Top trends’
“Almonds fit into so many of the top trends, such as natural, simple, better-for-you and clean-label, it’s no surprise that almonds are a go-to ingredient for top manufacturers today,” she adds.
Meanwhile, the Californian Almond Board (CAB) says the 2014/2015 almond crop would increase by 52,000t on last year, but would not be enough to meet a rise in almond demand.
California’s 6,000 almond growers produce 1Mt of almonds each year and supply 100% of the US’s market, as well as 80% of the world’s market, says CAB.
Nut consumption in the western world has increased by 53% since 2008, according to a Mintel report published last year.
