Food Processing - June 2008 - (Page 30)

c o n s u m e r ta s t e t e s t Consumers say they are trying to eat healthier and that they care about food components such as fiber and whole wheat. However, when confronted with the taste trade-offs of some whole wheat products, they opt for taste over nutrition. Pepperidge Farm Double Fiber Bread brings the opportunity of familiar sliced bread with added benefits that make it a less challenging trade-off for those who prefer a “white bread” taste. According to our Crave It!, Healthy You! and It!s Convenient consumer insights, there is no groundswell of support for the clever use of inulin. Consumers are looking for foods that taste great, are convenient and help them stay healthy. The message of needing more fiber in the diet has gotten out and those who feel they are really short on fiber – and care – at times feel they don’t have choices. Many sources of fiber – fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes – require a period of adaptation. While that is going on right now within all age groups, many struggle to get the right mixture of tastiness and fiber. The key trends in fiber are taste and amount/quality. Taste: Everyone who loves bread wants it “fresh from the oven.” Factors that drive up taste for consumers in breads are: fresh, warm, crusty, soft/chewy, crumbly and sweet – served hot out of the oven, coated with butter or a spread, with the smell/look/taste of what one yearns for. Real ingredients are important, as is enjoying bread at home. Pepperidge Farm is a brand that competes well relative to one’s favorite neighborhood bakery. Flatbreads are considered on-trend by chefs, yet this is a type of bread that is more to the liking of the smallest mindset group, not the largest. Healthiness: The consumer has gotten the message about fiber and health. Bread seems to be a good source of fiber. Vitamins and minerals are expected to be part of whole grain/wheat breads along with naturalness and an absence of artificial flavors and preservatives. People do not react to soft and feathery textures of bread the way as they used to (during quantitative testing). However, there still is large rejection when the whole grains taste gritty or bitter, there is a strong wheat note or the loaf is too sweet due to the taste of certain dark breads. Consumer interest is driven by descriptors such as natural, heart healthy, high protein, high fiber, low fat and low sodium and by recommendations from trusted health organizations. More functional factors that are either established or emerging are: calcium, folic acid and heart-healthy ingredients. The consumer taste test Pepperidge Farm Double Fiber Bread is available in 24-oz. loaves for $3.69. The packaging is in a clear bag, which allows shoppers to see the bread more easily and understand that the color is not completely dark. A statement about meeting the American Heart Assn. criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol provides more assurances of health. “Whole Grain” is the prominent name just below the brand, and “Double Fiber” also stands out. In a very small font below the double fiber statement are the words “twice the fiber of regular 100 percent whole wheat bread.” On the package front are the statements “excellent source of fiber” and “smooth texture.” The back label tells the whole grain story but does not focus on double fiber. The product was evaluated in a variety of ways – from toasting to sandwiches to slices with spreads. When tasted plain out of the foodprocessing.com http://www.timken.com http://www.timken.com/conditionmonitoring http://foodprocessing.com http://www.timken.com

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Food Processing - June 2008 Editor's Plate NewsBites Show Report The Trends Rollout Food Biz Kids Consumer Taste Test A Bevy of New CEOs Ingredients Packaging Plant Operations MRO Q&A New Supplier Products Toops Scoops Contents

Food Processing - June 2008

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