Health food companies' share of global growth shrinks as consumers turn to comforting snacks

Healthy snacks are out. Comfort food is in.

Amid the coronavirus shutdown, consumers are seeking the familiarity of products from major companies including Nestlé, Heinz, and Procter & Gamble, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Global food corporations are now "recording their strongest sales in years," compared to health-conscious snack brands that captured "35 percent of the year-over-year growth in the consumer industry" in January and February, but just 5 percent in March and April. Meanwhile, Hershey confectionery products gained "3 percentage of market share over the past month or so," writes the Journal.

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As supermarkets scramble to keep shelves stocked with essentials, healthy snacks from smaller brands may be harder to find while large brands with their own factories can produce large quantities to meet demand. Health brands may look to online sales, but over 90 percent of food sales reportedly happen in brick-and-mortar stores.

It's unclear if the trend will remain or the sugar rush will fade into a sugar crash. Read more at The Wall Street Journal.