In recent years the number of new bread products launched each year has risen. Health remains paramount, with wholegrain varieties increasingly common and functional and fortified products also gaining in popularity. On the other end of the scale, premium products, such as parmesan flavour bread and ciabatta, are also popular, and innovations in flavour look set to continue, as Mintel’s Jenny Catlin reports.
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Over the past few years, Mintel’s GNPD has recorded healthy increases in the number of new launches in the bread and bread products category, which includes loaves, rolls, croissants, tortillas, bagels and the like. Last year alone there were some 2,100 new bread products launched around the world, up from 1,354 in 2003 – a rise of 37% in one year. What is more, so far this year there have already been well over 1,000 new product launches within this category.
Overall, Europe was the most active region, accounting for 43% of NPD from January 2003 to June 2005, followed by North America with 35%. Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa were less active during this period, accounting for just 10%, 10% and 3% of new launches, respectively.
By taking a closer look at these new product launches there are several key trends that have emerged, many of which are concerned with making bread more appealing to those health-conscious consumers or those with specific dietary needs.
So-called ‘low-in’ positioning claims continued to dominate the sub-category during the nine months under review (October 04 – June 05). These include claims such as low fat, low cholesterol, low sugar and low carb, most of which have been around for some time. However, in comparison with the previous nine months, we have seen that these claims are decreasing in number, although still substantial. This is clearly paving the way for newer food minus claims, such as low trans fat and low glycemic to emerge.
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By GlobalDataAlthough low-carb has been the buzzword for many dieters of late, Atkins Nutritionals Inc recently filed for bankruptcy in the US and now other diets have a real opportunity to capture consumers’ interests. The Glycemic Index (GI) offers consumers disillusioned with low carb diet regimes, such as the Atkins and South Beach diets, a safer way to count carbohydrates for weight-loss without the removal of them from the diet altogether. The GI approach seems to appeal to dieters in both Europe and Australasia as a healthier alternative, but has not yet made an appearance in North American markets where low carb launches, although now beginning to wane, still dominate. The increasing popularity of GI driven diets is good news for the bread market (particularly for wholegrain versions) which has no doubt suffered from the low carb diet craze.
Healthier breads
One of the more recent trends has been the move towards low trans fats. Of the four types of fat commonly found in everyday foods, trans fat is potentially the most damaging to health. Interestingly, US government legislation has recently been passed to make trans fat labelling on food products compulsory by 2006, a trend which is likely to spread internationally as consumers become aware of the dangers of excessive trans fat consumption. Recent examples from North America include:
Bimbo Bakeries’ introduction of a Sugar Free 100% Whole Wheat Bread under the Oroweat brand, while in Canada, The Great Atlantic & Pacific of Canada, under its The Baker’s Oven brand, launched Tortilla Wraps, made without hydrogenated oils or trans fat.
These new product introductions show that bread can clearly be adapted to fit in with certain dietary regimes, its natural benefits are usually restricted to a high fibre content. That said there have been a number of new bread products fortified with vitamins and minerals to improve their image to health-conscious consumers, including those aimed at aiding a particular lifestyle (such as vegetarians) or for specific benefits (including added calcium for bone health). During the nine months under review, Mintel also reported on a new bread range in the US said to be the first to offer fortification in whole-grain bread, as well as the first bread to be fortified with vitamin D. For those looking for more intense internal benefits, there are now breads enriched with functional ingredients, such as the Omega group vital for cell formation and metabolising cholesterol, and prebiotics to help improve digestion and boost the immune system. Additionally, there are bread products formulated with naturally beneficial ingredients to enhance their healthy positioning.
Coffee, peach and pistachio
Bread products used to be pretty much a no-go area for coeliacs and sufferers of dermatitis herpetiformis who have to avoid common bread ingredients such as wheat, rye and barley. Gluten-free options increased by 39% during the nine months under review, in comparison with the previous nine months, and now include a host of flavoured varieties and formats to give added choice to consumers following gluten-free diets. Many new introductions seem to be from dietary specialists, such as Glutino and Moilas, although there is potential for mainstream players to approach the market with gluten-free varieties.
When it comes to flavours, perhaps unsurprisingly, cheese continues to be the most popular flavour for bread products. However, it is interesting that emphasis is increasingly being placed on sourced cheese varieties, such as Parmesan and Pecorino, for slight differentiation from rival ranges and to add a more ‘premium’ feel. Garlic and tomato also continue to be popular, proving ideal as flavours for gourmet starters. Examples of cheese, tomato and garlic flavoured products include: in the UK, Tesco introduced Finest Cheese & Onion Topped Burger Baps, and in Germany, Meggle released Pane Italiano Pecorino, a Ciabatta-style bread
Of course, Mintel has also reported on more unusual flavours for bread products, in particular coffee, peach and pistachio, aimed at the more experimental consumer. As bread can easily carry both sweet and savoury flavours, it is likely that we will continue to see more unusual flavours and combinations available on the market for an innovative twist.
