New popcorn texture measurement for booming snack sector

Popcorn is literally an exploding sector of the snack food market providing a new more healthy indulgence option that is less of a guilty pleasure. 

In contrast to the well-known sweet toffee version, we are now seeing the introduction of a myriad of flavouring choices which is injecting the element of excitement and fun into the market. 

Consumers’ growing interest in ethnic and exotic flavours has influenced brands to develop new, innovative and interesting flavours such as maple sea salt, green apple caramel, sour cream and onion, fruit chutney, pulled pork. 

The range of flavour offerings changes from country to country according to national preferences and maturity of markets.

Measuring Sauce Texture: Sachet/Tube Content Removal

The sauce market is diverse and the number of types of sauces is growing, whilst the product definitions are blurring between countries. 

Over the past years the more traditional table sauces have developed with new flavours and different packaging, and can now be seen being used as dips and marinades – a far cry from the conservative character these products had in the past.

A large proportion of condiments  and gravy stocks are now being produced in sachet or tube portions for quick and easy use, as well as to facilitate long-term storage. For products in tubes, the ability to squeeze the product out effectively is essential and is fundamental to its ease of removal from the packaging when required.

Measuring Sauce Texture: Extrudability

One of the most recent interesting innovations in the soups market was the launch of a range of Squeeze and Stir cup soups, made from concentrated purée rather than powder. These are designed to be squeezed into a cup and mixed with boiling water.

Extrudability is the work required to push or force out (or expel) a product. For products in tubes, such as syrups and icings, removal of the contents relies upon the consumer squeezing the packaging to extrude the product.

The ability to squeeze the product out effectively is essential and the consistency of the contents of a tube or sachet is therefore fundamental to its ease of removal from the packaging when required. 

Measuring Sauce Texture: Stickiness, Tailing & Stringiness

There are differences between types of sauces; tomato ketchup has a short character, whilst Asian sauces, like chilli sauce, tend to be more long in character. This textural difference is also highlighted in spoon coating and tailing when deposited.

In some foods, cohesive and adhesive properties greatly influence the performance of food before consumption, and the perception of texture in the mouth. Stickiness is commonly viewed as a negative food attribute, but in certain foods (like sweet sauces and syrups), a level of stickiness is not only tolerable but desirable. In semisolids, the stickiness is caused by sugars, fats, gums, starches or mixes of these ingredients.

Measuring Sauce Texture: Consistency and Cohesiveness

Back extrusion test for assessment of consistency

TESTING HOMOGENEOUS SEMI-SOLIDS: e.g. syrups, caramel, thick gravies, table sauces, ready meal sauces.

There is now diversity and new opportunities in formulating “table sauces”, both sweet and savoury, with a wide variety of flavours, rheological and textural properties which can be obtained or modified using different types and concentration of ingredients.

By controlling formulation and processing, a wide range of physical properties can be produced. In describing the consistency of foods, terms like “mouthfeel”, “body” and “stringiness” can all be understood and require a method for measurement.

It’s all in the Sauce – Measuring Mouthfeel

Sauces are the culinary workhorse of the food world. They add colour, a concentrated burst of complementary or contrasting flavour, and texture to everything from salads and pasta to meat and fish. 

Savoury or sweet, hot or cold, thin or thick, a topping or a mix-in, sauces have crossed cultural borders and are part of virtually all major cuisines. And sauces and soup products are flying off store shelves as consumers look for ways to enhance recipes. 

Texture Is Trending

Back in 2014 Elizabeth Sloan at Sloan Trends Inc postulated that ‘Texture’ was the next megatrend in food and beverage product development.  

An article in Food Product Design magazine
stated that “Foods and beverages without texture are boring, especially to consumers who are becoming more adventuresome and expanding their horizons in the culinary world. 

"Consumers are taking time to not only enjoy their meals, but to savour each and every bite that a particular product has to offer, focusing on the flavours and textures alike.

Keeping Breakfast Cereals Crispy

Snacking is now an integral part of North American and British culture and is becoming an increasingly apparent trend in many other international markets. 

In Germany, where cereals face stiff competition from traditional breakfast foods, the emphasis is shifting towards the promotion of cereals as a quick pick-me-up, as meals become lighter and less stodgy. In the Mediterranean countries of Spain, Italy and France, where a late evening meal is the cultural norm, cereals are being promoted as a substantial after-school snack for children.

In this competitive market, companies are battling for market share and constantly looking at new product introductions and improvements to traditional favourites. New product introductions may target specific segments of consumers – young and old – or ride on current trends, whether its health consciousness, the latest action figure or some other ingredient or formulation improvement that will gain interest by its promotion.