Snack firms must battle with frugal consumers, expanded competition and the challenge to remain innovative, exciting and healthy, a leading sector analyst says.

Hot and spicy, mac ‘n’ cheese, natural, healthy, clean label and cheap are just a handful of the demands ingredients firms face when developing snack seasonings, Kerry Ingredients & Flavors says.

There are processing challenges for extruded snack manufacturers when developing healthier products with ancient grains, whole grains and fruit, says Bühler.

A new interactive graphical database offering market insights for food and beverage ingredients will help manufacturers and suppliers identify new trends and grow their business, according to RTS.

Natural colours have overtaken their synthetic counterparts for the first time ever, and the trend towards clean label products is one of the key drivers according to new data from Mintel and Leatherhead Food Research.

Packaging is like a mirror to social developments, fashions and trends which enables constant response to innovation, according to INCPEN.

Cermex has introduced a robot palletizer which it claims offers fluidity, efficiency at the operator level and security in the cell.

Demand for clean material streams is driving growth in Faerch Plast innovations such as the MAPET II and black CPET trays.

Albis said its oxygen scavenger offers quality improvement for long shelf life products that are sterilised such as ready meal trays and bag in box pouches for wine and fruit juices.

Dried distillers grain, produced during ethanol processing has until now only found use in animal feed. But that could soon change after US researchers developed a way to turn this by-product in to a value-added food grade ingredient.