A recent National Peanut Board trip to China and new product offerings to U.S. consumers are encouraging signs for U.S. peanut producers.

Cross border e-commerce in China is booming. In 2015, online sales amounted to $630 billion, making China’s online retail market the world’s largest. A growing middle class, government support and consumer desire for quality and innovation are fueling this rise. 

The National Peanut Board is facilitating relationships between reputable e-commerce retailers in China and small and medium-sized U.S. businesses with peanut products. Recently, National Peanut Board Chairman Ed White, President and CEO Bob Parker, SVP of Marketing and Communications Ryan Lepicier and Marketing and Communications Manager Lauren Highfill Williams traveled to China and Taiwan to introduce peanut products and marketing concepts to buyers. 

“China is on its way to becoming a net importer of peanuts,” said Parker. “Chinese consumers value the rigorous food safety standards of the U.S. and innovative flavors and packaging options that USA peanut brands offer.”  

White added, “USA-grown peanuts have unmatched quality and taste that Chinese consumers will love.”  

MORE CHOICES

Consumers have more choices than ever to indulge in peanut-inspired snacks and sweets this season. From snack mixes to innovative flavor combinations in some of America’s favorite dessert and frozen treats, peanuts and peanut butter remain popular ingredients. 

Statistics back this up: According to Mintel’s Global New Product Database, new peanut product introductions in North America were up by 11 percent in May of 2017, over May of 2016. New peanut products and menu mentions include:  

Nestle Buncha Crunch Snack Mix includes clusters of crisped rice dipped in milk chocolate tossed with chocolate chip cookies, white morsels and dry roasted peanuts. Nestle Raisinets Snack Mix combines milk chocolate covered raisins with shredded coconut and dry roasted peanuts.
Reese’s Popped Snack Mix combines miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Reese’s Pieces candy covered peanuts with chocolate drizzled popcorn and pretzels.
New PayDay BBQ Flavored Bars, inspired by Texas, combine barbecue-seasoned peanuts with a chewy caramel center.
Reese’s Honey Roasted Flavored Peanut Butter Cups are a tribute to Georgia and feature a mixture of sweet and salty peanut butter combined with a hint of floral, amber and molasses.
Mars Candy introduces M&M’s Strawberry Nut Chocolate Candies, a limited-edition variety featuring a peanut covered in strawberry-flavored milk chocolate within a candy shell.
McKee Foods is introducing Little Debbie Big Pack Peanut Clusters. The crunchy molasses cookies are topped with salted caramel, sprinkled with dry-roasted peanut halves and enrobed in fudge.
Temperatures are rising, and new frozen treats and shakes are offered in stores and restaurants to help people keep cool.

Breyers Non-Dairy Vanilla Peanut Butter Ice Cream is made with almond milk, vanilla and peanut butter and is produced with non-GMO ingredients.
New peanut products will be served in some of America’s favorite’s restaurants.

Sonic Drive-In is expanding its frozen treat lineup with new Custard Concretes. Of the six new varieties, three have peanuts: Peanut Butter with Butterfinger, Banana with Reese’s and Caramel with Snickers.
A&W Restaurants is introducing two new peanut butter-packed treats featuring Reese’s peanut butter. The new Peanut Butter Shake is made with Reese’s peanut butter sauce. The Peanut Butter Polar Swirl features Reese’s peanut butter sauce and chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups.