DUIVEN, The Netherlands – Nuts and seeds in snack foods launched globally has increased at a steady pace recently, FoodBev.com reports. Nuts and seeds grabbed more than 37% of global snack food product debuts in 2013, with savory/salty snacks accounting for the rest, according to Innova Market Insights. Nuts in particular have increased their share, inching up from under 36% during the previous year from a bit above 32% in 2009.

Nuts are more prevalent in some countries than others. For example, there are more nut snack foods in France, Germany and Spain, but a lower portion of the snack market in the United Kingdom and United States. Western Europe has the highest number of new nut snack foods with 40%, while the United States only has a mere 32% of new nut snack foods.

“The packaged snack nuts market has seen mixed fortunes in recent years with some difficult times in the market for standard salted peanuts and other commodity-style lines, but rising interest in value-added products, such as natural, flavored and premium lines, and branding,” said Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova Market Insights. “Exotic nuts such as Brazils, macadamias, pistachios and pecans are increasingly being used to add value and interest in the market, while nut mixes have moved into whole new areas in terms of ingredients, and away from their traditional reliance on seasonal sales.”

The healthier sheen of nuts has driven the increased market share. “While innovation opportunities have traditionally seemed more limited in nuts than in some other sectors of the snacks market, it would appear that this may no longer be the case,” said Williams. “Technological improvements have allowed the development of much more complex and sophisticated flavors and coatings, and a range of more user-friendly packaging formats, including resealable cardboard cans, plastic and aluminum pouches and plastic jars, as well as the more traditional flow-wrapped bags.”