Prepared Foods- July 2008

new product trends Cereal Bars A quick delivery method for proteins, vitamins and minerals, cereal bars are evolving into a portion-controlled snack that can be consumed at any time. Cereal bars are enjoying a surge of popularity at breakfast time, replacing the morning meal, and varieties that are organic and fruit-based are especially hot. Aqila Teen, Contributing Editor A ccording to Mintel, the cereal bars category is defined as granola bars (made up of products like Nature Valley granola, Quaker Oats’ chewy granola and Kudos granola bars) and breakfast bars (including such products as Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain, General Mills’ Milk ‘n Cereal and Quaker’s Fruit & Oatmeal bars). Sales were just over $1.3 billion for 2007, an increase of 43% since 2002. Leading cereal manufacturers like Kellogg’s, General Mills and Quaker Oats together account for 70% of the total cereal bar market. In 2006, the Department of Agriculture released a study revealing that 93% of American diets lack the recommended amounts of essential vitamins and nutrients required for good health. Growing awareness of this shortfall leads many consumers to seek healthier alternatives to the foods they enjoy. Additionally, concern about the prevalence of obesity in adults and children, as well as its implications on health, is moving more Americans to consider how their eating habits affect their well-being. As a result, much of the growth in the cereal bar market is a direct result of shoppers reaching out for better-foryou alternatives to morning pastries or afternoon candy bars. Mintel’s trended analysis of Simmons National Consumer Survey reveals 65% of consumers report trying to eat healthier, up eight points between 2002-2006. Cereal bars that are Those who eat cereal bars have an even higher incidence organic and fruit-based of trying to eat healthy, at are especially hot 72%. This is a positive cue that consumers see cereal bars among consumers. as compatible with leading a healthy lifestyle. Although reported behavior does not always match up with actions, it does signify that more people intend to eat healthier, and cereal bar sales were positively impacted as a result. Bars for Breakfast, Organic with Fruit The majority of consumers, over 200 million people, eat breakfast on weekdays and weekends, based on Mintel’s report, “Breakfast Cereal—U.S., August 2007.” This suggests that breakfast is still an important eating occasion for most people. However, the report indicates that cereal sales declined 6% from 2002-2007. One reason is that consumers are turning to cereal bars as a quicker alternative to the traditional bowl of cereal. Increased cereal bar sales over the same time period confirms this. Furthermore, Mintel’s consumer research shows that, among those who eat cereal bars, 83% have them for breakfast. Manufacturers can widen the market for cereal bars by downplaying the connection with breakfast cereals and highlighting their role as an anytime snack. www.PreparedFoods.com ● July 2008 15 http://www.PreparedFoods.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Prepared Foods- July 2008

Prepared Foods- July 2008 Table of Contents Hitting the Shelves Category Analysis: Cereal Bars MarketWatch Modern Mediterranean Cuisine On the National Menu Stabilizers in Foods Beverages: Drinking It Up Protein and Aging R&D Applications: Chia Seed Nutraceutical R&D Applications: Navigating Flavor Trends R&D Applications: Ancient Whole Grains Abstracts

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