4 Oct 2019
Eating a healthy diet is not about strict limitations or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great and improving your health and yes, that means even indulging in patisserie items!
Today, consumers want to live a healthy life more than ever before. Consumers’ expectations with regards to health continue to evolve, and food always plays an important role in a healthy lifestyle. In 2019 it’s no longer just about calorie intake and getting rid of ‘bad’ ingredients like fat, sugar or salt. Cleaner label and transparency are becoming more important and most consumers want their food to be good for them and the planet. Based on the Puratos Global Taste Tomorrow* study, we reveal 4 key takeaways about how to bring health and well-being into the sweet baked goods category.
*Taste Tomorrow Survey 2018
1. Power Ingredients in Sweet Baked Goods
In the past, consumers were mainly focused on products that removed ingredients to make it healthier. From the Taste Tomorrow study, 73% of Canadian consumers say it is removing ingredients that make a product healthier; however, 68% say it is also adding ingredients that can contribute to better health. Consumers today are aware of certain ingredients that can add to health benefits.
Fruit fillings holds one of the strongest attractions as a sweet baked goods ingredient because consumers believe that fruit adds both healthiness and taste to any product. Wholegrains, seeds and fibre are power ingredients found in breads that consumers believe add to taste and health. We also see that Canadian consumers are open to add these healthy bread ingredients to their sweet baked goods.
2. Size Matters
Patisserie is all about indulgence, however, consumers do not want to compromise on their moment or deprive themselves of a treat knowing that what they consume may not be the best option for them health wise. One of the important ways consumers are controlling their health when consuming patisserie items is by portion control. According to the Taste Tomorrow survey, 21% of Canadian consumers say this is one of the most important buying elements when choosing patisserie items. Within this clearly indulgent category, looking at portion size when buying patisserie items helps consumers control their health without guilt.
3. Good for the Planet and Me
The trend towards more healthy food is also closely connected to the consumer demand for an Ethical Lifestyle: a lifestyle that is not only good for themselves, but also for the planet, its people and future generations. Turning more towards a plant-based diet has become a rapidly growing food choice for thousands of Canadians. The Taste Tomorrow survey revealed some key findings from the Canadian population related to this new lifestyle:
- 65% believe that consuming a plant-based diet will help prevent food shortages in the future
- 60% want to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diet
- 34% believe that plant-based food has a positive impact on the environment
- 30% believe plant-based food is healthier than regular food
These numbers continue to grow year over year as consumers are more aware of their food choices for both their own health and the health of our planet.
4. Transparency Remains Key
What is in the product? Are the ingredients good for my health? Where do they come from? Did the local farmers receive a fair price for their work?
Consumers want to be informed! They want to have access to as much information as possible so they can be reassured that they are making good choices and that begins at the ingredient level. Consumers are educating themselves a lot more so they can make better food choices. Clean labels are important to consumers and it is important that the baking industry continues look into analyzing and cleaning up their labels.
How can you respond to these trends?
At Puratos, we want to help our customers be able to bring health and well-being into their sweet goods category. We have a wide range of ingredient solutions, ranging from plant-based to clean(er) label solutions and more.
Want to learn more?
Please contact Puratos Canada or your Puratos Sales representative if you would like to find out more about the Taste Tomorrow trends in Canada.
Related Reading: Canadians seek healthier options in baked goods
This article has been written by Andrea Rosati, Product Manager, Canada. Andrea has been working for Puratos for more than 2 years as Product Manager in Patisserie and shares a passion for innovation and sweet goods.
