Dried fruits and nuts are a popular topic in the news this week. According to the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council (INC), in Reus, Tarragona, Spain, both demand and consumption of dried fruits and nuts have increased globally. Experts explain that it is because of increasing demand and limited supply for the majority of products. According to news reports, a poor harvest in major producing countries caused this market situation.
As many people know and enjoy, nuts are often used in snacks, cookies, chocolates, and bakery products. Experts say that the market trend is that consumers will look for healthy alternatives to products like cookies and snacks. Industry experts say unprocessed nuts are often healthy, so this market has strong growth potential. Recent studies show that products that have nuts are healthier because they include nuts. This applies to items such as muesli bars, or even products made with granola. Blueberries can be added to products as well for their high nutritional value.
In addition, nuts are a good substitute for meat and experts note that the current trend is to lower meat consumption. This trend comes from overall concerns about public health. Europe, specifically the North-Western countries, consumes a lot of meat. In order to lower this consumption, health experts offer edible nuts as a substitute, which makes vegetarians very happy. Numerous scientific studies have outlined the beneficial effects of dried fruits and nuts on the human body and health.
The United States is the top producer of dried fruits (1.1 million tons in 2015). This is after Turkey, China, and Iran. Spain is the ninth-largest producer with 64,500 tons. According to efeagro.com, figures from the INC show in Spain alone, consumption of dried fruits and nuts increased by 33 percent compared to 2013.
