Peanut – Trends

The PREMIUM PRODUCTS and EXPERIENCE macrotrend comprised factors considered as central in the consumers choices regarding peanut products, with highlight to quality, flavor, comfort, and the desire to try new combinations of ingredients and flavors. Allied to the sensory aspect, the population’s increasingly concerns with health has stimulated the search for pleasure in a conscious way regarding its possible negative impacts. The growth in the peanut market has mostly been attributed to the fact that the products can combine pleasure, comfort food, and nutrition.

According to the study conducted by Mintel, in addition of being realized as a nutritive food, and also brings satiety, peanut has been used as an ingredient to add indulgence to vegan food products and those with health claims.

The NUTRITION and FUNCTIONALITY macrotrend comprises the increasingly demand for products with more nutritive and functional capable of providing a feeding considered as healthier, a comprehensive concept that comprises both well-being maintenance, direct benefits to physical and mental health, and also the capacity to support the increase of immunity and diseases prevention.

The market growth for industrialized peanut products is mainly to their nutritive and functional attributes, highlighting is protein value, the fibers, good fats, vitamins and minerals content, in addition to mentioning studies that associate peanut consumption with the decrease of the risk of diabetes type 2 and cardiovascular diseases.

The CONTROL and ADEQUACY macrotrend represents the increasingly people movement in searching for food with less content or free o calories, sugars, saturated fats, Trans fats, sodium, and also gluten and lactose. In Brazil, the introduction of the front label, in a magnifying glass format, tends to encourage even more this trend.

Industrialized peanut products contain saturated fat, even though in a relatively lower quantity in relation to the fats considered as healthy. Obviously, salty products often contain sodium, and sweets have sugar added. Therefore, they are products that could suffer restrictions due to these characteristics, if it were not for their more favorable position compared to other snacks that do not have the positive nutritional value of peanuts.

THE NATURALNESS and AUTHENTICITY macrotrend reflects the increasing demand for more natural, whole, authentic, fresh products, without additives, with a lower processing degree and good origin, interpreted by many consumers, although controversially, as being healthier and more nutritive.

A study conducted by Mintel revealed that the industrialized peanut products consumption has been boosted by the fact that they are identified as a natural and plant-based source of proteins and energy. A research from National Peanut Board revealed that peanut remains being considerer as good natural food, and the increase in demand for natural (all-natural) and organic products has occurred, mainly among the Millennial generation consumers.

The SUSTAINABILITY and TRANSPARENCY macrotrend has boosted the products market with focus on environmental sustainability, with increase in demand for products prepared with ingredients from sustainable agriculture, organic, and prepared from plant-based ingredients. On the other hand, the trend of fair and solidarity trade has also highlighted products designed to socioeconomic sustainability, such as products with Fair Trade certification and links to social causes. This macro trend also highlights the growing consumers’ valuation attributed to transparency in companies’ communication regarding the origin and sustainability of the ingredients used, and also regarding the means of production.