With positioning such as organic, raw and artisan quality all shaping the global bakery market, there is a definite move towards higher quality, more differentiated products. While the frozen segment remains somewhat driven by convenience and ease of use, these qualities are bound to make their way into frozen baked goods as well.
By Chris Brockman, Mintel.
Another space for growth are positive health qualities, which will need to continue to be added to bakery products, especially frozen ones, as a way to connect with younger consumers. The importance of provenance and grain origin will also grow and there is much potential for new snacking products to be developed to meet on-the-go consumption needs.
Consumer expectations concerning clean label in bakery are evolving. Whilst concern around the use of additives/preservatives and demonized ingredients such as refined sugar and palm oil remains, other factors including ethical sourcing and environmental responsibility are also being scrutinized. This is already reflected in frozen bakery product launches in Europe: In 2017, 13% of products launched in this category were ‘free from additives’ and 17% featured environmentally friendly packaging. As consumer interest in these factors increases we can expect that to be reflected in innovation within the category. As Mintel’s 2018 Food & Drink Trend Full Disclosure explores, the next wave of clean label will challenge manufacturers and retailers to make transparency and traceability accessible to all consumers regardless of household income. Clean label at the right price has become a key factor in retaining consumers in the category.
Focus on Health
With consumer concerns persisting over the healthfulness and naturalness of bread, much emphasis globally has been put on promoting no additive/preservative and free from claims. In the US, for example, health and naturalness factors dominate packaged bread purchase considerations with whole grain content a persuasive factor for 41% of bread eaters, high in fiber for 34%, and all natural for 29%. Gluten free is a purchase consideration for only a minority (12%) but continues to penetrate the mainstream with sales growth. Organic bread continues to be a particularly booming sector. France and the US have seen recent growth especially, joining Germany as vanguard markets for organic bakery products. Half of French (50%), Spanish (53%) and Polish (49%) consumers agreed in 2016 that it is worth paying more for organic bread/baked goods. This is however not yet reflected in the frozen segment. In 2017, only 5% of frozen baked goods launched in Europe were of an organic variety.
Sugar on the other hand remains one of the key ingredients of concern in sweet bakery. In Canada, for example, 43% of consumers who eat sweet baked goods are concerned about the amount of sugar in sweet baked goods and 38% believe that it is important to know what ingredients go into the sweet baked goods they eat. Raw cakes made from uncooked and unprocessed ingredients have also been taken into the mainstream in 2017. Delhaize, one of Belgium’s leading retailers, introduced a private label line of raw cakes using agave or date as natural sweetening alternatives to refined sugar. These types of products also offer opportunities for frozen bakery manufacturers.
You can find the full article on this topic in the September-October print issue of Frozen Food Europe.
