Erbacher Food Intelligence (EFI) from Kleinheubach in Lower Franconia has been developing custom ingredients for 30 years, including those for chocolates, cereal bars, savory snacks and breakfast cereals.
At this year's ISM, the contract manufacturer and product developer for extrudates and texturates will be presenting its portfolio. What trends do the snack experts expect for 2024? Christoph Becker, Managing Director at EFI, provides an outlook.
Mr. Becker, let's take a look into the snack crystal ball. What trends do you believe will dominate the market this year?
I think the trend towards healthier, more sustainable products will continue in 2024. Vegan snacks remain very popular among consumers. After all, one in ten people in Germany follows a vegetarian or vegan diet, which is a significant increase compared to before! And this trend is growing globally as well. We certainly notice this in our production. In addition to ingredients for snacks, we also offer textured plant proteins for use in meat alternatives and the demand has skyrocketed. In the snack category, we see a significant increase in orders for gluten-free products. Protein-rich snacks and foods will continue to do well in 2024, with no end in sight to this trend.
Speaking of gluten-free – Erbacher Food Intelligence also offers gluten-free production, which not everyone can do. What does this specific requirement mean for food producers?
It's a great opportunity on one hand, as the market prospects are excellent. At the same time, gluten-free production poses challenges in many areas. Apart from the limited choice of raw materials, products intended for gluten-free production must be stored in a way that prevents contamination with gluten. The entire facility, the entire production site, must be meticulously cleaned before producing gluten-free. But the effort is worth it, allowing us to meet the growing demand in this sector.
Can preferences of consumers regarding snack flavors also be estimated?
In 2023, cocoa and products containing cocoa were very popular among consumers. In addition to classics like paprika and sour cream, some spicy to very spicy snacks entered the market, gaining extreme popularity through social media. I could imagine that this trend will continue in 2024. A flavor mix of spicy and sweet or spicy and highly seasoned could also be successful. Time will tell. We are excited to see what innovative ideas our customers will come up with!
In addition to taste and content, sustainability of products and productions is increasingly in focus. What role does this factor play at Erbacher Food Intelligence?
We aim to shape the future of food together and sustainability is indispensable. Our entire production process is carbon-neutral, relying on 100% green energy. We strive to reduce and avoid carbon emissions in all areas. Unavoidable CO2 emissions are offset through climate and forest conservation projects. We prefer regional suppliers for our ingredients and, of course, produce in organic quality when desired.
Do you snack yourself?
Oh yes, definitely! When we develop new crispy ingredients for snacks and the like, I always look forward to tasting them. I also have favorite extrudates, products shaped using advanced extrusion technology. For example, our spicy paprika waves... mmmmhhh...
Are they vegan and gluten-free?
No, they are conventional. But really delicious!
Christoph Becker is the Managing Director at Erbacher Food Intelligence. For interview requests and questions regarding our production and products, please contact us at: Erbacher Food Intelligence GmbH & Co. KG, Im Steiner 2/4, 63924 Kleinheubach | Jana Seifert, Phone: +49 9371 940-2031, Email: j.seifert@erbacherkg.de, www.food-intelligence.de
To the press compartment of Erbacher Food Intelligence
Downloads to this press release
