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A Closer Look at Snack Foods

The Business of Snack Foods

America's love for sugar is undeniable. In one single day last year (Super Bowl Sunday '09), for example, Americans consumed an estimated 30.4 million pounds of chips, dips, pretzels, popcorn and other snacks. With this kind of appetite, experts are confident the snack-food industry is one that will continue to hold up fairly well even amid difficult economic conditions. Here's a closer look at the businesses behind your favorite sweets. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

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The Business of ... America's love for sugar is undeniable. In one single day last year (Super Bowl Sunday '09), for example, Americans consumed an estimated 30.4 million pounds of chips, dips, pretzels, popcorn and other snacks. With this kind of appetite, experts are confident the snack-food industry is one that will continue to hold up fairly well even amid difficult economic conditions. Here's a closer look at the businesses behind your favorite sweets. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Frito-Lay Frito-Lay, part of PepsiCo Inc. since a merger in 1965, is the North American champion of chips. The company makes some of the best-known and top-selling snack foods around, including Cheetos, Doritos, Fritos, Lay's, Rold Gold, Ruffles, SunChips, and Tostitos. According to PepsiCo, Frito-Lay’s North American snack-food sales make up about 30% of the company’s total sales. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole)
Quaker Oats Quaker Oats is a large food manufacturing company based in Chicago. In addition to breakfast cereals, Quaker produces various food and drink products, including Soy Crisps and snack bars. In 2001, Quaker Oats merged with PepsiCo to create the fourth-largest consumer goods company in the world. (AP Photo/John Keating, ho)
Keebler Founded in 1853, The Keebler Company is the second-largest cookie and cracker manufacturer in the U.S. In 2001, Kellogg Co. bought Keebler and its popular elf mascots to increase market share. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Herr Food Inc. Herr Foods makes about 340 different kinds of snack foods, including potato chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, cheese curls, popcorn, crackers, nuts, pork rinds, onion rings, and meat sticks. This mostly East Coast company is still a family-run business. The company’s chairman and CEO is James M. Herr, son of company founder James Stauffer Herr.
Nabisco Headquartered in East Hanover, N.J., Nabisco is a subsidiary of Illinois-based Kraft Foods. The company (originally known as National Biscuit Company) produces cookies and snacks, including brands such as Chips Ahoy!, Fig Newtons, Oreos, Ritz Crackers, Teddy Grahams, and Nutter Butters. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
Tasty Baking Com... The Tasty Baking Company has been churning out Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes, Butterscotch Krimpets, Chocolate Cupcakes, and tons of other baked goods since 1914. This Philadelphia company is in the process of relocating and updating its operations in an effort to increase its gross annual sales in excess of the current $250 million. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma)
Utz Quality Food... Utz, based in Hanover, Pa., is the largest independent privately held snack brand in the U.S. The company was founded in 1921 and distributes a variety of potato chips, pretzels, and other snack foods throughout the eastern U.S.
Sara Lee Corpora... Based in Downers Grove, Ill., Sara Lee is a global manufacturer and marketer of bakery, beverage, and other food products. Some popular Sara Lee brands include Ball Park, Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, Senseo, and Sara Lee. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, file)
Kettle Foods Kettle Foods, based in Salem, Ore., produces all-natural, hand-cooked chips. Originally Kettle products were only available in natural food stores. The company, now owned by the private investment firm Lion Capital, is making an effort to increase market share by expanding into mainstream supermarkets.

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