Using Your Loaf to Get Healthy
The thinking consumer, it is said, discerns the difference between fads and trends, between fashion and something that is here to stay. And, writes Andre Erasmus, getting this right if you are a major baker is crucial to preventing a loss of sales.
Essentially, as the Englishman notes, it all comes down to using your loaf to get a slice of the market…and if you don’t want to become toast, you have to keep up with trends and be able to discern what is here to stay and what is not.
One example here is the emergence and continued growth of the ‘healthy food’ sector – a fad that became a trend and which is now a fixed sector in the global bakery market.
At the 2016 market, Mintel stated: “The bread industry is seeing low growth in mature markets as it faces growing competition from other breakfast and lunch foods and has a relatively poor health image amongst consumers.”
Mintel Food & Drink Research Manager, Chris Brockman, added that “innovation is therefore vital to engage with existing and new potential users”, and went on to say that bakers had to be ‘increasingly mindful’ of the health sector, even though many viewed this to be at the indulgent end of the market.
Global industry analysts state that the popularity of healthy, organic and natural baked goods will see the market continue to grow, while Euromonitor claims that manufacturers are looking ‘into merging taste and health through adding fiber and vegetable or a mix of protein and fiber’.
Let’s take a look at some recent innovations and see how the market has responded to these projections.
In the UK, Warburtons introduced a new protein range of loaves, wraps, rolls and thins, baked using a blend of wholemeal flour and pulses that provide a naturally good source of protein.
This follows on from Warburtons joining forces with the Canadian International Grains Institute (CIGI) in an ongoing pulse research project that aims to produce healthier baked products and ultimately, to increase the use of pulse flours by the food industry.
The research builds on the technical expertise that CIGI has developed over the past decade in collaboration with pulse growers and the industry focused on the functionality and application of pulse flours. This reflects the growing consumer demand for new and innovative bakery products.
Staying with pulses, GoodMills Innovation offers a new functional and versatile ingredient for bakery, confectionery and cereal bars in the form of YePea (an abbreviation of Yellow Pea), which the company describes as ‘a perfect fit for products positioned within the health and wellness sectors’.
GoodMills adds that YePea can be used in recipes for breads and small baked goods. The toasted cracked peas enhance water-binding capacity and provide a tender texture, and the combination of complex carbohydrates, dietary fibers and proteins contributes to a valuable nutritional profile.
Then there are products like HiLo’s wholemeal seeded sliced bread in the UK, which provides almost 50% of the individual’s daily protein requirements in only three slices and has 65% fewer carbs than white bread. It is also high in fiber and 100% free from artificial preservatives.
Bakers are reverting to sourdough, rye and ancient grains to impress the health-conscious consumer with gluten-free options, low-salt alternatives and other adaptations and innovations.
Whatever the consumer wants or desires, there is a baker somewhere who will provide it. One trend, however, seems be doing well and that is the healthy bread sector. It’s a trend due to continue for a long time to come.