Almonds were the most used nut in product introductions across Europe last year, with 5,000 new almond products launched.
This represents 43.7% of global almond-based introductions, with Germany, France, Spain and the UK dominating almond product releases. It also marks the nut’s eighth consecutive year as the most used nut.
Supporting health demands
Almonds boast a strong nutritional profile and can be used as an alternative ingredient that responds to popular diet trends like keto. With consumers continuing to prioritise health, manufacturers can use them within new production development to create ‘health halo’ items, benefiting from claims such as ‘a high source of protein’.
In the UK, there’s a higher than average of claims on products with almonds, with ‘vegetarian’ and ‘vegan’ the most common.
Plant-based benefits
According to the research, almonds are the leading nut when it comes to plant-based claims on new product intros in Europe as a result of their protein levels and ability to pair well with other plant proteins like legumes.
According to Innova Market Insights, 32% of global consumers want improved texture in their plant-based offerings. Almonds could offer a solution to this, as reflected in the findings which revealed crunchy and creamy as the top two texture claims on almond launches.
Driving innovation across categories
Almonds also offer versatility, coming in 14 different forms. This means they lend themselves well to a variety of food and drink categories. However, confectionery appears to be leading in terms of volume for almond introductions in Europe, making up 26.1% of the total share.
Commenting on the results, Lu Ann Williams, global insights director at Innova Market Insights, said: “The current economic climate is forcing many consumers to make tough purchasing decisions, which is why the development of innovative products that can deliver on multiple demands is more important than ever.
“It’s unsurprising that almonds remain the number one nut in new product introductions when they’re able to satisfy a range of consumer demands from healthy indulgence to plant-based, thanks to their nutritional profile and versatility.”
Data depicted referenced in this news piece is based on the findings from the following reports:
- Innova Market Insights, Global New Product Introductions Report, 2022. May 2023
- Innova Market Insights, Innova Trends Survey 2022
- Almond Board of California, Global Chocolate Study 2022
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