Baking & Snack - June 2017 - 54

PIZZA

New crusts and toppings
continue to rebrand pizza,
whether frozen or fresh, as
an attractive meal option.
Rich Products

this advantage over quick-service or limited-service
restaurant channels. Mintel's 2016 study showed that
four in 10 people keep their freezer stocked with frozen
pizza.
While weeknight dinner is the most common
pizza-eating occasion in all age groups, consumers
aged 18-34 are considerably more likely than older
adults to cite a wide range of other occasions, including weekend dinners, lunch and snacking, according
to Mintel. Snacking in particular is an opportunity to
drive pizza usage among younger adults who are more
likely to incorporate snacking into their everyday meal
routines. According to Mintel data, 18 to 34-year-old
consumers are 11% more likely to eat pizza as a snack
and 16% more likely to consume it alone or for lunch.
Ms. Battistoni said the trend toward more Americans
eating alone is prompting some serious questions of
the pizza industry.
"When you think about a product or a meal like
pizza, it's very much a celebratory meal option," Ms.
Battistoni said. "So when people are having parties or
they're inviting guests over, pizza tends to be a solution of choice. As we think about trends toward smaller
portions, the way consumers are spreading out meals
and the fact that a lot of younger consumers are eating
alone, we need to think of ways to position pizza to fit
evolving consumer needs in addition to celebration occasions in large groups."
Catering to individuals can open a lot of opportunities for customization, Ms. Battistoni added, not only
in ingredients but also in packaging for on-the-go
lifestyles.
Examples of smaller servings include DiGiorno's
Artisan Style Melts, made on focaccia bread, and
DiGiorno's snackable Pizza Bun, both of which hit
stores in early 2017. The Artisan Style Melts are inten-

54 Baking & Snack June 2017 / www.bakingandsnack.com

Gaining with gluten-free options
The future of pizza will include a widening variety of gluten-free options due to
growing demand for gluten-free products,
whether for dietary necessity or personal
choice.
"Gluten-free continues to grow as consumers are choosing gluten-free options
for dietary reasons," said Tina Battistoni,
customer marketing manager, prepared
foods, Rich Products. "I don't think it
shows any signs of slowing. Gluten-free
menu penetration continues to grow with
pizza being one of the most prevalent
gluten-free menu options."
Ms. Battistoni said while gluten-free has
come a long way, opportunity exists for
improving gluten-free crusts, both in flavor and texture, to appeal to the broader
market.
DiGiorno introduced its first gluten-free
thin-crust product this year with the Ultra
Thin Crust Pizza. The crispy thin crust is
topped with non-GMO ingredients like
100% real cheeses and Italian sausage. The
Ultra Thin Crust Pizzas were released in
May for a suggested retail price of $6.49.
Nation Pizza produces gluten-free doughs
for its manufacturers. Vince Nasti, vicepresident of operations, said gluten-free, like
other organic and natural claims, has proved
it has staying power. "Those items have
really taken off; there is really a demand for
those types of products," he said.

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