Toothpaste chips anyone? Just how adventurous are you prepared to be?

Under the motto ‘Score big with our seasoning’, the eight snack mixes from Hügli allowed its product developers to also embrace the comfort food trend.

“For Snackex, we developed a new marketing concept and also of course, the seasonings,” Maria-José Stangl, junior project manager for Hügli Nährmittel AG, told Bakery&Snacks.

“We wanted to bridge the topics of football and snacks because we believe that snacking is a big, important part of watching a game. We wanted to evoke the same emotions that a good football game does – evoking nostalgia and the feeling of togetherness.

“So, we took the eight countries that are participating in the Euro 2024 and developed a seasoning that should remind the customer of the very familiar dish of the specific country. For example, we have the sauerkraut for Germany, truffle cream for Italy and churros for Spain.”

According to the international company, football and food have a remarkable ability to bring people together, transcending barriers of language culture and background. They foster a sense of belonging and unity, creating shared memories and moments of celebration. These feelings can even be intensified with the current trend of comfort food.

The eight snack concepts on show at Snackex included:

Italy: Truffle Cream (a creamy sauce infused with the distinctive flavors of the earthy fungi)

Spain: Churros (fried pastry served with hot chocolate)

Scotland: Tablet (a Scottish sweet made from sugar, butter and condensed milk)

England: Sunday Roast (the traditional Sunday lunch)

Switzerland: Swiss Alpine Herbs nuts (including rosemary, mint, sage, parsley and more)

Germany: Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage)

Belgium: Sauce Andalouse (a creamy, spicy mix of mayonnaise, tomato puree and various spices)

France: Tarte Flambee (the regional speciality from the Alsace region comprises a thin flatbread, spread with crème fraiche or sour cream and typically topped with bacon and onions)

“We did research what flavors are the most popular in each country, but also looked at what would work with snacks,” said Stangl.

The company is headquartered in the village of Steinach in Germany but has production facilities and administration staff in various locations across Europe.

It was founded in 1935 by Beat Stoffel but named after company manager and developer Otto Hügli. This laid the foundation for a long success story that began with a pioneering achievement: Brodox, the first industrially produced bouillon cube. 1936

In 1936, it launched it range of ready-to-cook soups, an absolute novelty for the company and the food industry at the time.

From 2000 onwards, Hügli expanded into various European countries and continued with its aggressive acquisition strategy to snap up Bonita in Zasmuky CZ, Interplaning in Neuburg DE and Contract Foods in Redditch UK, among others.

Hügli became a business unit of the Bell Food Group in 2018.

“We deliver different types of flavor compounds for the food industry, from soups to sauces and ready meals, marinades, snack seasonings and desserts,” said Stangl.

“We have several culinary advisors in our company, so the culinary aspects and capturing ‘the freshness of food’ is very important for us.”

Euroma’s Snackex showcase

The Netherland’s flavor house custom-made a series of ‘crazy’ seasonings for the tradeshow. Have you ever tried toothpaste or cinnamon cookies on crisps?

Since 1899, Euroma has been adding flavor to people’s lives by creating natural food solutions, including surprising snack flavors – ranging from toothpaste (think mint) to curry and hot dogs – along with interesting, healthy textures (for example, tiger nut coating, which produces a bursted coating effect) and dip concepts for better-for-you yoghurt, sour cream and ready-to-eat dips.

“The trend towards conscious, healthy and honest food has been ongoing many years ago and shows no sign of stopping,” said the company.

“With herbs, spices and other natural ingredients as a starting point, Euroma reformulates recipes while maintaining the good taste. It’s a challenge that we’ll gladly take. We know from experience that there are many combinations of flavours, fragrances and aromas that can replace salt, sugar, MSG, allergens and yeast extracts without sacrificing taste, aromas, texture, adhesion that affect customer appreciation.”

The Sensory Wave

Meanwhile, Fuchs Gruppe was on hand at Snackex to discuss its Sensory Wave.

The sensory evaluation breaks down around 70 herbs and spices, categorizing them under the used part of the plant – leaf, flower, root, bark – the basic taste and mouthfeel, and intensity of sensory perception.

For example, basil is described as green tea-, hay- and grassy-forward, followed by a floral tone and with anise, lemon peel and eucalyptus undertones. It is a leaf and has a light bitter taste and cooling mouthfeel.

Turning to spices, talking Sichuan pepper: strong peppery, citrusy, soapy and floral tones, followed by fruity and eucalyptus hints and a piney undertone. It’s derived from the flower and has a bitter taste and tongue coating mouthfeel.

“The science of sensory perception describes how people perceive products using their senses within the framework of various tests, analyses and measurements,” said the company.

“With the help of sensor technology, differences between products can be identified and their causes described. Based on these results, targeted improvements can be made to products in order to ultimately achieve greater market acceptance.”