Packaged Foods Containing Almonds Show Encouraging Market Trends

    MODESTO, Calif., Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The Almond Board of California
 (ABC) announced today that the number of introductions of new almond-
 containing packaged food products in North America grew 30 percent from
 2006 to 2007, according to the most recently available figures from the
 Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD). Almond introductions strongly
 outpaced the growth of nut products in general (up just 2 percent) and the
 rate of new food product launches overall (down 2 percent).
 
     Over the past five years, both the United States and Canada have
 significantly increased their annual number of new almond product
 introductions. The United States nearly doubled from 183 almond products
 launched in 2003 to 312 almond products launched in 2007. Canada more than
 doubled its launches over the same period, from 42 to 109. In 2007, the top
 category for new almond products in the United States was snacks and in
 Canada it was confectionery.
 
     Looking at another dimension of the performance of almond-containing
 food products, ABC notes that retail movement of certain categories of
 products is steady or growing. Bars are doing particularly well. According
 to Information Resources Inc. (IRI), sales of energy and health bars with
 almonds grew more than the overall energy bar category, with an increase in
 unit sales from 97 million in 2006 to 104 million in 2007. Almond granola
 bars' share of the overall granola bar category increased in 2007,
 averaging 41 percent of sales in this $1.5 billion category.
 
     In IRI's snack and baking nuts category, sales of pure almonds and
 mixed almonds saw positive growth in units, dollars and pounds in 2007 and
 larger growth than the overall category. Dollar share of pure almond
 products has doubled from 2002 to 2007.
 
     The trend of almond product sales outpacing the sales growth of an
 overall product category can be seen in cereal, as well. While total cereal
 unit sales showed a decline from 2006 to 2007, the almond cereal share of
 unit sales actually increased, with many of the high-growth almond cereal
 products continuing to appear in the natural and organic segments. In the
 biscotti category, almond product sales grew 20 percent in units, dollars
 and pounds from 2006 to 2007.
 
     The new products are being met by increased consumer demand. According
 to the USDA, almonds lead the nation's increase in tree nut consumption.
 Americans increased their consumption of tree nuts by 23 percent between
 the mid-1990s and mid-2000s, with almonds being among the favorites. Per
 capita almond consumption doubled in the United States between 1999 and
 2007, fueled by the almond industry's marketing and education programs. In
 the most recent annual Consumer Awareness, Attitudes and Usage survey
 conducted by Sterling-Rice Group, 87 percent of consumers rated almonds
 good or excellent for being nutritious and 61 percent report that almonds
 are the nut they choose to eat on an ongoing basis.
 
     The Almond Board of California administers a grower-enacted Federal
 Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of
 Agriculture. Established in 1950, the Board's charge is to promote the best
 quality almonds, California's largest tree nut crop. For more information
 on the Almond Board of California or almonds, visit
 http://www.AlmondsAreIn.com.
 
 

      Media Contact:
      Max Martens
      (310) 444-7084
      max.martens@porternovelli.com
 
 

SOURCE Almond Board of California