Supermarket Perimeter - October 2020 - 23

ingredients and building sustainability and transparency into ingredient
production.
"From a cultural perspective this is translating into a desire among
consumers for the brands and companies they choose to take a stance
on cultural and societal issues, making transparency and authenticity
highly valued," Rogers shared. "This could take the form of donating
portions of the profit to a cause or creating baked goods that keep in
mind environmental impact, local communities and sustainable food
methods."

Simplified approach
As evolving attitudes in health and wellness continue to impact
offerings in the category, bakeries are widening their offerings with
options that appeal to consumers such as vegan, gluten-free
and clean label. Coined "Enlightened Eating" by Dawn
Foods, the company strives to find balance between
what's considered "permissible" and what will
continue to provide optimal flavor, sweetness
and quality.
"Consumers are looking for simple labels,"
said Joe Perdicho, director of bakery operations,
Special Touch Bakery, Rochester, N.Y. "The
more scientific the ingredient sounds, the less
natural it is to the consumer. We find the fewer
ingredients we can put in a bakery item, the better
it is received."
Simplifying ingredient lists could include introducing
or re-introducing consumers to plant-forward ingredients
and ancient and heirloom grains. Spelt, einkorn and barley are finding
starring roles alongside more familiar grains such as quinoa, oats
and chickpeas. Additions of fruit, grains, nuts and seeds offer ways to
provide color, flavor and texture with nutrition and a halo of health.
In addition to plant-based sources, other "healthier for me" options
include the use of natural sweeteners, fiber and protein additions,
or adding pre- and post-biotics to infuse baked goods with added
superpowers. Such additions improve the nutritional profile of baked
goods and appeal to consumers embracing keto, vegan or even
gluten-free diets, according to Pam Stauffer, global marketing programs
manager, Cargill.
The instore bakery plays the perfect backdrop to showcase the
freshness of products produced with a minimal amount of ingredients
as opposed to center of the store. The importance of setting the instore
stage will grow as health and wellness attitudes evolve into tenets of
food as medicine. Post-pandemic, offering foods that offer perceived
health and wellness benefits such as gut health or weight management
could meet the health and wellness needs of those using food as a way
to ward off illness.
JoAnn Rupp, global marketing and research insights professional,
Corbion, Lenexa, Kan., anticipates a strong demand for simpler, more
natural ingredients that supply functionalities similar to their traditional
counterparts such as using honey or fruit juice instead of artificial
sweeteners and replacing processed wheat with vegetable-based flours
and ancient grains. Increased interest in the fiber-based applications
and fermentation in the artisan space also show promise.

SP_Oct20.indb 23

CATEGORY PREDICTIONS
Generationally, you can see that some trends will take hold:
online ordering, delivery, ready-to-eat all will continue to hold
a solid market share. People love sweets and quality bakery
products will hold its own regardless of generation or pandemic.
- Joe Perdicho, Special Touch Bakery
Focus on the freshness component and focus on the holidays,
a driver for the instore. People are still celebrating, so make it
easy for people to purchase from the instore and ensure quality
is present along with the inventory.
- Eric Richard, IDDBA
Consumers will lean toward ingredients and products
more thoughtfully crafted that indulge but also give
consumers an experience. Be on the lookout for
new companies using "left over" ingredients to
make new products to reduce environmental
impact and food waste.
- Hailey Rogers, Ardent Mills
Humans will not shy away from baked items
during tough times. Between that and the variety
of bakery items out there now (vegan, gluten-free,
cleaner label), I doubt the trend for bakery items will
phase out any time soon.
- Annie Best, Dawn Foods
Consumers are purchasing bakery items they can keep in their
pantries for longer periods of time and those that are packaged
by brands they recognize and trust. We expect that sturdier
packaging will continue to stick around for some time.
- JoAnn Rupp, Corbion
Despite all the hype about health, consumers still value
permissible indulgences. There's growing interest in value-based
purchasing, and our Insights Report on Sweet Baked Goods
shows the continuing impact of the clean label movement.
- Pam Stauffer, Cargill

9/25/2020 9:14:17 AM
Supermarket Perimeter - October 2020

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