Thursday May 13, 2010

Candy, Snacks Grow In Popularity

Chicago — Potato chips, hard candy, chewy candy, corn chips and snack cakes grew in popularity among young consumers in 2009, according to The NPD Group, Inc.

The researcher’s SnackTrack survey shows that among consumers aged 2 to 17 years old, fresh fruit was the snack consumed most. However, the age group also consumed more yogurt as a snack in 2009 than in 2008, the report shows.

Yogurt, potato chips and hard candy were among the top sectors that experienced growth in 2009 as snack foods, NPD says. Chewy candy ranked seventh, while corn chips were eighth and snack cakes came in at the number 10 spot.

According to the data, 60 percent of snacks are consumed between meals, while 40 percent are eaten with or instead of main meals. One out of every five meals in the U.S. is a snack meal, NPD reports.