Tate & Lyle has published its new consumer insights report which reflects significant growth opportunities within the bakery sector in Europe.
Key insights from the report show that almost half of young people in Europe are buying bakery products every day; one third of people over 34 in Europe are buying baked goods on a daily basis; bakery experts are stressing the important role of additional nutritional benefits in making bakery products more appealing.
These are some of the findings and recommendations from Tate & Lyle’s Bakery Digest: What’s driving growth in the European bakery market, which analyses consumers’ consumption and purchasing behaviours across a wide range of bakery products including bread, cereals, cakes, biscuits, pastries and bars.
Experts at Tate & Lyle are calling on manufacturers to recognise the importance of positive nutrition claims in winning over shoppers.
The research findings show that while traditional health considerations like sugar and calorie content remain important to consumers, 67% of consumers in Europe ranked additional nutritional benefits as a priority and two-thirds of consumers are likely to choose bakery products with added fibre claims, presenting an opportunity for manufacturers and their customers to attract and retain shoppers.
“The research findings point to a number of emerging trends and behaviours, including a new focus on wellbeing driven by a more holistic approach to health,” said Lin Peterse, Category Development Manager for Bakery in Europe, Tate & Lyle. “We’re noticing that there is a lot more focus on positive nutrition claims. In addition to of claims like reduced fat and reduced calories, consumers in Europe are increasingly seeking products that are high in fibre or high in protein. As a result, protein bars or high fibre snacks, which used to be considered ‘performance’ products, are becoming more mainstream, and consumers are also starting to look for fibre and protein claims on products like cakes and biscuits.”
As well as the high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) regulations on displaying these products in the UK, the report also explores the impact of other regulatory changes like the Nutri-Score in certain European countries on consumer purchasing habits.
For example, two thirds (65%) of consumers in Europe said they would like manufacturers to reformulate the recipes of their favourite bakery products so they can have the convenience of buying them at aisle ends or by checkouts.
“It means manufacturers may need to review some of their formulations to attract new consumers and keep existing ones,” added Lin Peterse. “But when it comes to product reformulation, it has got to be a balancing act between making products healthier while maintaining quality.”
Read more latest industry news and developments in our free to download magazine.
Never miss a story… Follow us on:
International Bakery
@int_bakery
@Bakeryint
Media contact
Caitlin Gittins
Editor, International Bakery
Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 920
Email: editor@in-bakery.com
