Manufacturers of frozen bake-off solutions are following health trends evident in the bakery industry, reports Jonathan Thomas.
The growing in-store bakery (ISB) market continues to offer opportunities for manufacturers of bake-off solutions, which are often supplied in frozen format and used by supermarket and other grocery operators for baking foods such as bread, cakes and pastries.
In the US, research carried out in 2022 by the Food Industry Association (FMI) found that 95% of shoppers buy bakery goods via ISB channels at least on an occasional basis, while 63% do so weekly. In the UK, meanwhile, the market continues to grow by up to 5% per annum, while ISB channels now account for 12% of all bread sold in volume terms, rising to 20% by value.
As is the case for the wider bakery industry, health concerns and the trend towards products promoted as ‘better for you’ continues to represent a major market driver within this category. This has prompted large scale reformulation of bakery goods such as bread and cakes, in a bid to improve the nutritional profile of products, as well as to address the various pieces of legislation introduced throughout the world amidst concerns over unhealthy diets.
One of the best examples in this area was the legislation introduced in England in 2022, affecting food products perceived as being high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS). The new regulations placed restrictions regarding where these products could be stocked in-store (such as at the checkout), as well as limiting promotions of these products, such as via multibuy offers.
In 2025, this legislation will be extended via a ban on TV and online advertising, as the regulatory authorities seek to reduce children’s exposure to foods perceived as having an unacceptably high HFSS content. Elsewhere in the world, advertising restrictions on HFSS foods have also been introduced in countries such as Canada, Mexico and Chile, with varying degrees of success.
Early indications suggest that the new legislation has had some effect upon sales of HFSS foods in the UK. As of October 2023 (i.e. a year after the regulations came into force), the share of total volume sales taken by HFSS-compliant varieties had increased in sectors such as fresh, frozen and impulse foods, although not within the ambient foods category.
However, much of this can be attributed to the wider availability of HFSS-compliant foods as manufacturers have reformulated their products, rather than an underlying shift towards healthier diets.
Looking ahead, it is also possible that some bakery goods may fall foul of the growing focus upon ultra processed foods (UPFs) by the authorities in many western countries. These foods are attracting an increasingly negative press, on account of their alleged links with adverse health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.
Industrially produced bread (especially white bread) is coming to be seen as a prime example of a UPF in markets such as the UK, while the spotlight may also fall upon other bakery goods such as cakes and biscuits.
It should be noted, however, that definitions of what constitutes ‘healthy’ bakery foods can vary significantly. While for some consumers this means products containing less processed ingredients, for others it can refer more specifically to bakery goods enriched with additional ingredients such as fibre, protein, vitamins, etc.
To read the entire article, please access your complimentary e-copy of Frozen Food Europe September-October, 2024 issue here.