Hummus Becoming the New Chips and Dip
3/10/2008
NEW YORK — Americans looking for a snack once reached for Ruffles and ranch dip, leaving the pita triangles and hummus tubs to the foodies.
But now, hummus has hit the mainstream, showing up at office potlucks and playoff parties all around the country.
Food industry experts say hummus, the Mediterranean spread made with chickpeas, ground sesame seeds and lemon, has benefited from a lifestyle shift toward healthier eating as well as a heightened curiosity among Americans about international food.
"Where we were kind of a meat and potatoes society, that's definitely changing," said Scott Harris, director of marketing at Givaudan, which makes and supplies ingredients to food and beverage companies. "Something like hummus has been around for thousands of years _ it's been around for a long time _ but now you buy it on every grocery shelf in every state of the nation."
Hummus has become so popular, some of the biggest food and drink companies are even beginning to take notice.
PepsiCo Inc., for example, announced a joint venture with Strauss Group to operate Sabra, the top-selling maker of hummus in the U.S. Under the terms of the agreement, PepsiCo's Frito Lay division will market the hummus, bringing the dip to even more Americans through the chip division's vast distribution network.
Frito Lay spokesman Aurora Gonzalez said the hummus company complements its portfolio, which includes a line of pita chips. She said it also builds on the company's strategy of adding healthier snack products to win over customers who are more and more concerned about health and nutrition.
Gonzalez said hummus is "in that sweet spot as clearly a flavor experience that also is healthier."
PepsiCo, like most food and beverage companies, has had to shift its thinking toward healthy drinks and snacks as more consumers forgo sugary soda and full-fat chips for something less likely to pack on the pounds.
Hummus, which has about 80 calories per serving and 6 grams of fat, is generally considered friendlier to waistlines than chips and dip. Of course, most dips now come in low-fat and nonfat varieties, meaning hummus may not be the option lowest in fat content.
But Bruce Rubin, general manager of hummus maker Tribe, said perception is more important than reality to most consumers when it comes to eating healthy.
"People think it's good for you because it's a vegetable product," Rubin said. "There's a perception that it's healthy and low in fat."
Rubin said that perception has helped boost sales of the hummus category from $2 million a year about two years ago to nearly $200 million in 2007.
Growth statistics are hard to come by since hummus is typically included in the flavored spreads category _ a group that also consists of horseradish sauce and meat spreads. But according to research firm Information Resources Inc., at Sabra _ which only makes hummus and other Mediterranean spreads _ dollar sales rose about 83 percent from Dec. 2, 2006 to Dec. 2, 2007.
As more people have become interested in trying hummus, companies have responded by making new varieties of the classic tangy taste. You can now find hummus in roasted garlic, roasted red pepper, spicy chipotle, dill and sundried tomato basil flavors.
Soon, kosher hummus will be available in the U.S. as well. Earlier this month, Israel-based kosher food distributor G. Willi-Food International Ltd. bought a controlling interest in Shamir Salads, an Israeli food manufacturer that makes kosher hummus, dips and spreads.
As part of the deal, G. Willi said it will build a manufacturing plant in the U.S. to distribute Shamir's product line in North America.
.© 2008 The Associated Press
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