INDIA –  Indian consumers are becoming more conscious about the nutrition profile of the foods they eat and the trend is now becoming a major factor influencing purchase decisions of many consumers.

This is according to a recently published study by market research firm Mintel on snacking attitudes of Indian consumers.

According to the study, there is a growing consciousness about reducing the guilt of snacking among many Indians who are now preferring products with “free from” labels on their packaging.

‘No additives or preservatives’ is one of the top claim connected with clean label in the Indian snacking space, which has grown from 11% of total snack launches in the 12 months to January 2017, to 19% between February 2020 and January 2021, according to the Mintel study.

This demand for ‘clean label’ products is happening at a time when consumption of snacking India has also skyrocketed.

With most staying at home, mintel notes that  four in 10 Indian consumers say their snack consumption has increased.

The research firm also notes that consumer behaviour may have shifted towards more snackins occasions during the day, and even night.

Rushikesh Aravkar Mintel’s associate director (food & drink – India & Thailand) says that if hunger and energy were the key drivers for snacking pre-pandemic, today it’s a search for comfort and stress-busting benefits that consumers look for.

“Consumers are looking at snacking more often and are also replacing meal occasions with snacking occasions,” Aravkar added.

Even as demand for ‘clean label’ snacks rises, Mintel notes that taste still remain King when it comes to purchasing decisions.

According to the study which involved more than 3,000 Indian adults aged 18 and above, 7 in 10 consumers say taste is more important than how healthy the snack.

Despite taste remaining king, the fact that consumers are increasingly looking at labels and are avoiding nasties like preservatives and additives is a welcome change from earlier times, when taste used to be the only consideration.

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