Supermarket Perimeter - October 2022 - 22

Bakery
Low-sugar options
BY JENNIFER BARNETT FOX
WHILE REDUCTIVE OPTIONS CONTINUE TO GROW and become
more sophisticated, sugar reduction remains far from a one-size-fits-all
solution.
Trends of sugar reduction remain an important touchpoint
throughout the perimeter, particularly among younger consumers who
increasingly prefer less sweetness. The Hartman Group's Reimagining
Health and Wellness Amid COVID-19 report found 46% of consumers
say they are avoiding artificial sweeteners and 42% of consumers
say they are avoiding or decreasing refined sugar. Similarly, ADM's
whitepaper, The Perfect Balance: Successful Sugar Reduction for
Today's Marketplace found 46% say no added sugar is important and
39% say reduced sugar is important.
IRI International, Chicago, found low sugar/sugar reduced is one of
the fastest growing BFY claims in bakery. While the overall attribute is
driving growth, it's still limited with the low/less/no sugar claim at the
highest share of dollars at 1.2% in breads and rolls and in pies and cakes.
Most growth in lower-sugar breads/buns/rolls can be found within the
flourishing keto market.
" Sweet snacks and desserts are generally indulgent, so consumers
may want the full sugar/full fat nature of a treat versus looking for low
sugar options, " said Melissa Altobelli, vice president of client insight,
dairy and bakery, IRI. " However, within bakery, we are seeing strong
growth from products with no artificial sweetener claims and in edible
products with natural sweetener claims. "
Cargill, Minneapolis, continues to see the rise of permissible
indulgence with plenty of opportunity for reduced-sugar baked goods.
In the U.S., bakery launches with a sweetener claim were up 24.4%
in 2021, nearly doubling from 2016. In 2021, nearly a third (29.8%) of
bakery launches with a sweetener claim contained stevia, according
to Courtney LeDrew, senior marketing manager, Cargill. Innova Market
Insights found three in five consumers would prefer to reduce sugar
intake rather than replace it with consuming artificial sweeteners.
" While previous generations were raised on a " the sweeter, the
tastier " mentality, many younger consumers prefer unsweet in other
categories, " said JP Frossard, vice president, consumer foods, Rabobank,
Atlanta, Chicago.
Bellarise/PakGroup NA, Pasadena, Calif., sees bread products with less
sugar trending among young consumers who choose perceived betterfor-you
flats, tortillas and wraps over traditional sliced bread.
" For the most part, younger generations such as Millennials and Gen
Z opt for better-for-you breads when compared to Boomers and Gen
Z, " said Cam Suárez-Bitár, director of marketing and public relations,
Pak Group NA. " Younger generations also tend to read the label more
closely. "
Nutrition facts
SUGAR-FREE
less than 0.5g of sugars per labeled serving
LOW SUGAR
3g or less of sugar per serving
NO SUGAR ADDED
food in which sugar or no sugar-containing ingredient
(concentrated fruit juice) is added during processing
ADDED SUGARS
sugars that are either added during the
processing of foods or packaged as such
22 - OCTOBER 2022
Proactive eating
Grocery retailers are also taking note with a range of products that
allow customers to have their cake and eat it too. Instore and online,
Kroger, Cincinnati, offers its Bakery Fresh Goodness sugar-free reduced
calorie angel food cake and no sugar added apple pie. Walmart,
Bentonville, Ark., offers sugar-free sliced lemon crème cake, no sugar
added apple pie and Marketside brand sugar-free cookies in chocolate
chip and oatmeal raisin varieties.
Foodservice operators looking to add reduced sugar and sugar-free
bakery offerings turn to providers such as Bernard Food Industries,
Evanston, Ill., manufacturer of Sans Sucre baking mixes and Bernard
Blondie and Chocolate Fudge brownie mixes. Gage Foods, Bensenville,
Ill., distributes Golden Choice sugar free chocolate fudge brownie mix,
sugar-free, sucralose-sweetened desserts; low-sugar icing, muffin and
pancake mix, mousse, pie filling, pudding, sugar-free cookies, fruit filling
and crisp topping, whip topping and lower sugar cheesecake. To top
those items, Buffalo, N.Y.-based Rich's, distributes On Top sugar free
whipped topping, which can be used for hot and cold applications,
along with sugar-free chocolate-flavored chip cookie dough.
Offering a range of traditional sweet goods, Main Street Gourmet,
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, also produces Isabella's Healthy Bakery sugar-free
and no sugar added muffins sweetened with stevia. This is in addition to
a muffin line using fruit as a naturally occurring sugar, sugar-free pound
cakes and sugar-free and no sugar added cookies.
supermarketperimeter.com
MICHA KLOOTWIJK - STOCK.ADOBE.COM, SARA LEE, EZEKIEL, EXTRAORDINARY BITES
http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supermarket Perimeter - October 2022
