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Hazelnuts Fit into Top 5 Confectionery Trends
When it comes to quality confections, hazelnuts are a natural partner. European confectioners have capitalized on the partnership for a very long time and now American companies are beginning to use the pairing to their advantage too. As palates become more sophisticated, the demand for more premium, upscale confections continues to increase. Packaged Facts, a division of Market Research.com, Inc., estimates the overall market for gourmet chocolates, including specialty stores, boutiques and other venues, will reach $1.62 million by 2008. The compounded annual growth rate for the five-year period (2003-2008) is estimated at 10.18 percent. Here are at least five compelling reasons why hazelnuts fit perfectly into current confectionery trends.

#1) SELF-GIFTING & EVERDAY INDULGENCE

Self-Gifting Price Points Strong market for specialty confections up to $5 .99 to $2.99 for self-gifting target audience $3.99 to $4.99 for upscale market Source: Confectioner magazine

As evidenced by the coffee craze that inspired Starbucks to pop up on every street corner, consumers continue to demonstrate a desire to indulge in small, affordable pleasures every day. According to Confectioner magazine, consumers are showing more restraint when purchasing large luxury items, but have no qualms about spending $3.50 on a cup of gourmet coffee or a piece of mood-altering specialty chocolate. This notion of “self-gifting” allows people to pamper themselves a little bit each day without feeling guilty.

Hazelnuts paired with rich, dark chocolate fit perfectly into the everyday indulgence trend. In fact, in a recent consumer awareness study sponsored by the Hazelnut Council, hazelnuts ranked in the top three for both “specialty nuts” and nuts that are considered “trendy.”

#2) POSITIONING PRODUCTS AS PREMIUM

Even some of the largest United States. food companies have added specialty divisions or product lines to capitalize on the demand for “premium” confections. Some of these companies have created “gourmet-aspiring” lines with affordable product offerings that are defined by the consumer as more upscale.

Innovation is key when it comes to creating a premium product. The art is in combining ingredients that are unique or special but still have broad consumer appeal. In the 2005 Hazelnut Council quantitative research study, 83 percent of American consumers who reported having tried hazelnuts reported liking them. Not only are hazelnuts moving up the scale of likeability (up from 79 percent in 2003), but they also have the specialty item image that makes them premium.

#3) EUROPEAN INFLUENCE

Internationally-inspired food trends are not new to the scene, but suffice it to say that the European influence has never been more obvious than it is with gourmet confections today. American consumers are willing to indulge in delicious treats on a more routine basis rather than waiting for special occasions, but they’re counting on confectioners to make it worth the calories. In other words, consumers are mimicking their European counterparts by selecting quality confections they can savor and enjoy.

Gianduja is a creation that’s catching on in the U.S. By using hazelnut butter in place of cocoa butter, confectioners lower the melting point of the chocolate so that it instantly melts in your mouth creating a creamy, smooth sensation that redefines decadent.

#4) NOSTALGIC FLAVORS APPEAL TO AGING BABY BOOMERS

It's not hard to imagine why nostalgia and all things retro appeal to the infamous chunk of the market known as the baby boomers. When Spam sandwiches and toasted cheese with Velveeta started appearing on menus at upscale restaurants it should have been a clue that those boomers were calling the shots.

During consumer insight panels, hazelnuts conjured up memories of special holiday treats and treasured tastes of childhood. As consumers reflect on flavors that take them back to their youth, they admit to wanting to see hazelnuts incorporated in more products.

#5) HEALTHY CANDY IS NOT AN OXYMORON

Not even the confectionery industry is exempt from the movement to make everything Americans eat more nutritious, lower in saturated fat or somehow healthier. According to MarketResearch.com, Inc., “Gourmet marketers will miss opportunities if they don’t launch products appealing to the health conscious consumers.” Now that the American public is armed with the knowledge that dark chocolate and nuts are particularly good for heart health, it opens up a whole new realm of possibilities.

The Hazelnut Council’s 2005 quantitative research study shows an overwhelming 95 percent of people believe products can be both healthy and indulgent. Among this group, 75 percent agree a product with dark chocolate and hazelnuts would be both healthy and indulgent.

Compared with other nuts, hazelnuts are among the lowest in saturated fat and among the highest in heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. Hazelnuts are an excellent source of vitamin E. They’re a good way to boost the protein content of a product without significantly raising carbohydrates, and they provide folate and add a variety of important antioxidants. Not to mention that tree nuts now have an FDA-approved claim for heart health.

FDA-Approved Label Language “Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as hazelnuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”