On 6-7 September, the Steigenberger Airport Hotel was home to the Snack Kongress 2016 – the congress for snacking and nutrition. It was very well attended, with high-quality exhibitors presenting attractive products and innovations.

Together with Axel Budde, Purchasing Manager for Frozen and Fresh foods at Edeka Struve, Thomas Ebenfeld, MSc and Co-Founder and Shareholder at concept m, presented a fascinating paper.

Thomas Ebenfeld talked about the change in the psychological significance of diet in recent years and showed the special significance of diet in modern culture. Consumers today are constantly trying to find a balance between different motivations, for example between “needing to function” and “wanting to enjoy”. The result is a growing patchwork of diets within the context of the breakdown of the rhythms of daily life. There are also new consumer requirements emerging for the aesthetics of brands and products. The trends described are changing the significance of snacking in modern culture.

Axel Budde spoke from the perspective of the food trade, presenting attractive visuals and concrete data to show the significance of innovative snacking concepts for the trade today. Not all innovations meet what consumers want, and for consumers to accept the new concepts, the trade must be actively involved in placement and promotion. Axel Budde used examples from practice to show impressively how Edeka Struve manages its products to stay at the leading edge of innovative suppliers to the trade.

Thomas Ebenfeld closed the paper by matching the various consumer desires to the current cultural psychological relevant food trends.

If you are interested in food market research and innovation consultancy, contact Thomas Ebenfeld (thomas.ebenfeld@test.local).