A meal means nourishment, a beverage means refreshment. With snacks it’s not so straightforward. They’re inextricably linked to anA meal means nourishment, a beverage means refreshment. With snacks it’s not so straightforward. They’re inextricably linked to an event or experience. Think about popcorn at the cinema or crisps and pretzels watching the television or having a barbeque.
Snacks are an emotional and engaging experience for consumers which involve multiple senses: the crispiness of the texture, the lightness of the puff or the crunchiness of the first bite. It’s also the sound the consumer hears as they devour their favourite treat. And, of course, snacks must deliver just the right flavour – be it cheesy, nutty or fruity.
In addition to this sensory experience, more and more consumers want “better-for-you” snacks, such as “low fat”, “baked not fried” or snacks with added health benefits, such as high fibre options. The National Starch Food Innovation snack experts and their portfolio of unique ingredients can help you deliver the emotional lift, guilt-free indulgence and/or enhanced nutrition consumers crave.
Products & Services Consumers want the right mix of satisfying crunch and crisp. Our texture team can translate these experiential desires into food formulating techniques.
• For expansion and crispiness, BAKA-SNAK® E, ULTRA-CRISP and ULTRA-
SPERSE provide better volume control, uniform cell structures and reduced
breakage in the end product
• For key properties like breaking strength and initial hardness, film forming,
protective barrier formation and opacifying, we provide HYLON® VII and CRISP-
FILM® starches
• For finishing touches, National Starch Food Innovation offers unique specialties, like
DRY-TACK 250 E and N-TACK binders that adhere nuts, fruits and seasonings to
snacks and VERSA-SHEEN® for glazes
• When nutrition enhancement is called for, HI-MAIZE® resistant starch provides
increased fibre and health benefits
• Expanded and extruded snacks and cereals
• Crackers
• Wafers
• Sheeted, fried and baked products
• Puffed coatings
• Adhesion
Challenges • Consumer-preferred textures
• Fat reduction
• Fibre enrichment
• Breakage control
• Reduced wastage of nuts, seasonings and other particulates