5 attention-grabbing products from the 2024 Sweets & Snacks Expo

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Nearly 16,000 people arrived in Indianapolis last week for the 2024 Sweets & Snacks Expo where food giants such as Hershey, Ferrero, Conagra Brands and Mars Wrigley debuted many of their new or signature offerings.

Just steps away from these sprawling displays with large signage and individuals handing out samples were hundreds of smaller candy and snack innovators packed into tiny booths displaying their novel products to retailers, competitors and other attendees.

Some of the offerings are just a few months old. Others have been around for a few years. But the one thing manufacturers of these products have in common is they’re either looking for their big break or to further expand in a food space deluged with choices.

Here are five products that caught our attention:

Hooked on sustainable fish jerky

For Nick Mendoza, making fish jerky might seem like an unusual career path after growing up on a cattle ranch in New Mexico.

But for Mendoza, the sea has always been a part of his life, and founding Neptune Snacks in 2020 was a way the former marine scientist could directly improve ocean health and increase the availability of sustainable seafood.

“It was so clear to me that consumers are shifting toward other proteins and away from red meat while looking for ways to incorporate [fish] into their diets,” Mendoza said.

Neptune Snacks currently sells four jerky varieties from US wild-caught fish: Sea salt and Juniper, as well as Spicy Cajun from Pacific Rockfish; and Cracked Pepper and Sweet Citrus Ginger from Alaska Pollock. A fifth line is scheduled for later this year.

The jerky, available in more than 2,200 stores, hits on several trends popular with consumers. 

Neptune Snacks are high in protein and Omega-3 fatty acids and low in calories. The fish used to make the products can be traced back to the person and area where the Pacific Rockfish and Alaska Pollock were caught in the wild. The Seattle-based company also favors imperfect fish, including fillets that are too small to be served as a table portion in a restaurant.

With dozens of meat jerky brands on the market totaling nearly $1 billion in sales, Mendoza could have a huge market to tap into if he wanted to target these offerings. Instead, he’s focusing on meeting the appetites of people looking for more seafood.

“We don’t need to, and we’re not trying to convert jerky eaters to try something different,” he said. “There’s enough people out there that want more fish in their diets and that’s kind of our easiest access to marketing.”

Packages of Nomad Snacks' popcorn at the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Indianapolis in 2024.

Optional Caption

Christopher Doering/Food Dive

 

Putting the pop back in popcorn

As a fan of popcorn, Dan Sobek realized he had enough.

Sobek grew frustrated that the category has been starved for innovation for years, with new offerings from big food brands like Conagra’s Angie’s Boomchickapop and Hershey’s SkinnyPop focusing predominately on some variation of cheese, sea salt or butter. 

A classically trained chef who owns restaurants in San Diego, Sobek used his insight into flavors to help revitalize the stagnant popcorn space.

Last December, he launched Nomad and debuted two popcorns with food-inspired flavors: one that tastes like ramen and a second dusted with chimichurri seasoning. Three more flavors are planned in 2024, including Chili Crunch, Pad Thai and Mexican Street Corn.

“We’re trying to bring something new to the market,” Sobek said. “We’re trying to break something loose in the category that’s never been done before.”

Nomad is tapping into popcorn’s neutral flavor profile to load up its products with generous amounts of its signature seasonings — another way Sobek said the brand is separating itself from other products already on the market where the flavor is more subdued.

Nomad will eventually move into sweeter offerings, but first it wants to launch up to seven savory products. 

Even though the upstart company has only had its popcorn on the market for six months, Sobek said early tests at smaller independent grocers in California “have exceeded our expectations.” It only served to embolden his observation that consumers were looking for a flavor reboot to popcorn.

“There a big market for this, a lot of interest,” he added.

Packages of Maax Brands' energy gum at the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Indianapolis in 2024.

Optional Caption

Christopher Doering/Food Dive

 

Bringing energy back to gum

With consumers frequently turning to coffee and other drinks for an energy jolt, Maax Brands has something else for consumers to chew on: gum.

Source: fooddive.com

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