24 Almond Facts
JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2015
Snack Almonds
Kick up the Heat
with New Sriracha Flavor
Fans of the bold, complex favors of Sriracha hot sauce can soon experience that tangy heat on
Blue
Diamond Snack Almonds.
The popular chili sauce has exploded out of the condiment category and can
be found on everything from beef jerky to potato chips. “Almonds were a logical next step for this new
favor. Our bold line is about to get a whole lot bolder!” said Al Greenlee, Marketing Director for Consumer Products.
Hot sauce production is the 8th fastest growing industry in the United States, according to a report from IBIS World, an
industry research frm. IBIS attributes the growth trend to demographic shifts, immigration and the growing popularity of
spicier ethnic food in the United States, Canada and Japan.
The Sriracha style of hot sauce, in particular, is booming. CBS has reported that the
Southern California-
based Huy Fong
company, the largest
producer of Sriracha
hot sauce, has
experienced double-
digit growth annually.
Their popular sauce is
based on a traditional
hot sauce that the
company’s founder
modeled after a spicy
condiment from his
native Vietnam. IBIS
points to the sauce’s
popularity among
Millennial consumers as
a big reason for for its
mainstream success.
For
Blue Diamond,
Sriracha Snack Almonds
offer the opportunity to introduce heat
to the BOLD product line. “Up until now, our BOLD line has
featured savory and spicy favor profles such as
Wasabi and Soy
or
Jalapeño Smokehouse.
Those favors feature a unique blend of
spices for the consumer to enjoy. But heat is something different.
Heat is the sensation in a consumer’s mouth resulting from
different components in a seasoning, most commonly resulting
from peppers. Our
Sriracha Almonds
exemplify heat,” Greenlee
explained.
Heat is just what consumers are looking for, according to
market researcher Mintel Innovation. In a poll, 54 percent of
consumers preferred hot or spicy sauces, dips and condiments
over their tamer counterparts and a majority of respondents
indicated hot or spicy to be an “appealing or extremely
appealing” favor. Roasted-red chili is the No. 2 emerging food
favor with chili-pepper right behind at No. 4.
Publix Supermarkets, a chain that operates throughout the
Southeast, is the frst retailer to offer
Blue Diamond Sriracha Almonds.
Consumers can look for the item in 6-ounce cans starting in
March, with 1.5oz tube packages to follow in late Spring.
Sriracha
Wasabi
& Soy
Habanero
BBQ
Jalapeño
Smokehouse
heat scale