Many factors influence on-pack claims: legislation is a key issue, particularly in recent months, and especially in the area of health- and nutrition-related claims. Cultural factors play an important role, which is why we see products targeting seniors in some countries but not in others, and of course trends dictate what claims marketers and manufacturers will use on-pack to best draw the consumer’s attention.
In 2009, food and drink categories saw some subtle (and one or two slightly less subtle) shifts in leading product claims as recorded on the thousands of new products monitored by Mintel’s Global New Products Database.
The most significant shift in 2009 was that a new claim category took over as the most commonly seen on new food products. The family of claims classified as ‘suitable for’ includes products that are kosher, halal, suitable for diabetics, gluten-free, low allergen, vegetarian and vegan, and was seen on 24% of all new food products introduced last year. This represents an increase of three percentage points on 2008.
Foods flagged as gluten-free or low/no allergen saw a significant increase, especially in Europe and Latin America, but to a large extent this reflects changes in labelling rather than changes to formulation, with many items now labelled as gluten-free, for example, that would not naturally contain gluten. The increase nevertheless reflects companies’ willingness to modify labelling in the face of consumer concerns and heightened awareness of food allergies.
The bakery category unsurprisingly saw the bulk of launch activity, with a wide variety of new gluten-free lines from Nutrition & Santé under the Sans Gluten or Senza Glutine brand names in France and Italy respectively, and expansion of the gluten-free range from Tyrolean company Dr Schär.
In Argentina, the Cero Glut brand from Susana A Jurich saw the launch of several sweet and savoury biscuit products, all gluten-free and formulated with corn and rice flour. New mainstream players also entered the allergen-free segment, with the launch, for example, of the Bewusst Geniessen line of baked goods, gluten-free and lactose-free, from German company Coppenrath Feingebäck.
Products labelled as vegetarian or vegan revealed similar patterns and were focused mainly on Asian and European markets, while halal food products saw significant growth in 2009 in Southeast Asia as well as South Africa and Australia.
The leading claim group in 2008 was ‘natural’, encompassing organic, all-natural, additive-free, and whole grain (‘naturally rich in … ‘) products. The trend to ‘natural’ was seen on 23% of all new food products launched globally in 2008, and reached the same level in 2009, putting it in a close second position and providing further evidence that ‘natural’ values are here to stay.
New products with a ‘more natural’ positioning have been seen in every country and in every category, and have included processed foods from major suppliers. In the US, for example, Häagen-Dazs extended its super-premium ice cream range with Häagen-Dazs Five, a line of products that use just five ingredients.
The ingredients – milk, cream, sugar, eggs plus the ‘flavour’ component (eg passionfruit or chocolate) – are listed front-of-pack to underline the brand’s simple, natural positioning. Additive-free claims are most entrenched in children’s foods, where parental concerns over ‘unknown’ or unfamiliar food additives drive consumers to opt for more natural formulations.
The trend has appeared to be towards the negative in recent years, with the proliferation of emotionally charged ‘junk free’ and ‘no nasties’ labelling, but the emphasis now seems to be shifting in favour of accentuating the positive. The new Planet Lunch line of kids’ foods from PepsiCo in the UK, for example, features the prominent claim ‘100% natural ingredients’.
Labelling also promotes the ‘natural goodness’ of the formulations, communicating that the squeezable fruit pouch pack contains one of a child’s five recommended daily portions of fruit and vegetables, or that the stick and dip is made with whole grain and real vegetables.
In many markets, ‘natural’ has become accepted as part of the consumer’s health & wellness vocabulary, and is faring better than some of the more established areas of claims. The ‘minus’ group of claims, including products low in fat, calories, sugar, sodium etc, was seen on just 16% of all new food products launched in 2009, down from 18% in 2008.
In drinks markets, where low calorie and low sugar are well established claims, the percentage of new products carrying a minus claim fell from 19% of the total to 18%. Whether or not that reflects a long-term shift in health positioning remains to be seen, but many categories in many countries have seen a steady decline in ‘low in’ claims over the past 2-3 years.
Of course ‘low in’ claims haven’t gone away, and many consumers choose low fat and low calorie options as a simple solution to a healthier lifestyle. But another route to weight management focuses on satiety, with several recent introductions designed to keep consumers feeling full for longer, and/or help prevent snacking between meals.
Among the more interesting is a line of prepared meals and sandwiches from UK retailer Marks & Spencer. Sold under the name Simply Fuller Longer, the meals are high in protein, have balanced levels of carbohydrates and controlled calories. They were developed with expert advice from scientists at the University of Aberdeen, based on research showing that protein is more filling than carbohydrates or fats, and therefore helps the consumer feel fuller for longer, thus helping weight loss or maintenance without the feeling of hunger. Recipes tend towards the sophisticated (for example, Chargrilled Chicken, Edame Soya Bean, Pak Choi & Noodles with a Miso Dressing).
Another key area of health-oriented targeting is represented by the ‘plus’ claims group, which includes products with added vitamins or minerals. Despite high numbers of introductions of fortified beverages in diverse categories, this group accounted for just 8% of all drinks launches in 2009 and has been declining slowly but steadily over the past three years.
Marrying health benefits with indulgence isn’t a new trend, and can offer a route to success if the balance is achieved. Two companies have launched ‘healthy’ probiotic products with an ‘indulgence’ difference in recent months:
On-pack claims are supported by official studies and research conducted by Barry Callebaut in cooperation with the University of Ghent in Belgium. They show that while only 20% of milk or yogurt probiotics survived after passage through the stomach and small intestines, at least 80% of those in chocolate passed through into the intestinal tract. As the company claims, ‘a delicious way to add probiotics to a healthy lifestyle’.
When it comes to home cooking, convenience is key but experimentation and participation are the watchwords. However, although consumers are interested in food preparation from scratch, they often lack the knowledge or the time (or both) and need a helping hand. This is where products such as McCormick’s Recipe Inspirations come into play.
Launched late last year in the US, they comprise pre-measured spices with a recipe card, all priced at an affordable $1.50. Six varieties are available, such as Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Potatoes, which includes paprika, crushed rosemary leaves, minced garlic and coarse ground black pepper. Instructions clearly indicate all of the ingredients that need to be bought, and the pre-measured seasoning ensures that everything is to hand for convenient recipe creation without any fuss or waste.
For the more adventurous home cook, French company Monin introduced Les Jus Cuisinés, a line of gourmet culinary additives based on vinegar, fruits, vegetables and spices. Monin is best known as a traditional supplier of concentrates (including fruit syrups) for making drinks, so this launch marks new ground for the brand. The new line is oil-free and can thus be positioned as a relatively healthy option for seasoning creative and tasty meals.
Exotic recipes include Carrot, Pink Grapefruit & Ginger, and Raspberry, Rose & Lychee, all created in conjunction with Michelin starred chef Thierry Finet. Targeted towards the more confident consumer, the products retail at a premium of nearly €7 for a 25cl bottle.
One other notable shift over the past year relates to the ‘ethical & environmental’ category of claims, which cover products or packaging labelled as ‘environmentally friendly’, as well as ethical claims including Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, animal welfare issues and charity tie-ups.
Recorded on just 2% of new food products in 2007, this category grew to 5% in 2008 and reached 8% in 2009. And in drinks markets, thanks largely to the importance of Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance labelling in coffee and tea, ethical and environmental claims have appeared on 13% of all new products during the past year.
The big news in ethical marketing comes from outside the beverages market, however, with the adoption of Fairtrade certification by two major chocolate brands: Cadbury Dairy Milk in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and Nestlé’s Kit Kat in the UK and Ireland. Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s has also announced that it will switch all ingredients to Fairtrade where possible by 2013.
Economic conditions may not be favourable to premium ‘green’ products in many countries, but ethics and the environment are firmly on the agenda and are not going away. Successful introductions are likely to be those that offer an affordable step for the consumer or those that combine an economic and environmental benefit.
In the US, Kellogg’s introduced on trial a ‘space saving’ box for its most popular cereals, using different package dimensions to provide the same quantity of product. The immediate consumer benefit, evident from the front-of-pack labelling, is one of convenience (easier to handle and store). Yet, the back of the pack describes how the new box uses 8% less packaging material, resulting in an environmental benefit as well as cost savings throughout the distribution chain – a win, win, win situation, apparently, for the consumer, the retailer and Kellogg’s.
In Portugal, Coca-Cola recently entered a new market segment – beverage concentrates – with the launch of Menos é Mais (‘less is more’) iced tea concentrate. Sold in a 1-litre carton, this makes seven litres of product, but the positioning is more interesting than that of a standard dilutable.
The front of the pack features a drop of concentrate falling into a glass of iced tea; the back of the pack has an illustration of a coin dropping into a piggy bank, promoting the product’s cost-efficiency without resorting to language such as ‘economy’.
The package further details the efficiencies of shipping and storing a concentrate rather than a diluted product, which includes fewer trucks on the road and therefore a reduced environmental impact.
Staying with Coca-Cola, one of the biggest news stories currently is the US launch of the PlantBottle for its flagship cola brand and for Dasani water. The bottle is made with 30% plant-based materials from sugar cane and molasses, giving a 25% reduction in carbon emissions vs regular PET.
Often allied to ethical and environmental issues, local sourcing continues to move up the agenda for product developers and marketers. Many moves towards local sourcing are restricted to less processed products such as milk.
In France, for example, Orlait has a UHT milk branded J’Aime le Lait d’Ici, or ‘I love the milk from here’. It’s described as coming from regional farms, collected and packaged in France. MVS in Germany has a similar concept, Die Faire Milch, which is claimed to be environmentally and animal-friendly, and supports local farmers. Local is a far more complex issue for major suppliers, but Frito-Lay (PepsiCo) took a move in this direction in 2009 when it introduced the ‘chip tracker’ concept on bags of its bestselling Lay’s potato chips.
The consumer can go to the chip tracker website and enter the production code from their bag of chips, together with their zip code, to find out where the potatoes were grown and where the chips were packed.
Although not promising to be local, it uses information that food producers don’t usually give on-pack to provide a degree of transparency in communication.
Finally, on the subject of the environment, a big issue to watch out for in the future is water footprint.
Finnish cereals brand Elovena introduced what Mintel believes is the world’s first water footprint label, for a line of oat flakes. A small, blue logo positioned directly below the product’s carbon footprint on the front of the pack indicates that 1kg of cereal uses 101 litres of water. This is claimed to be low, as the oats do not require irrigation and they’re processed using steam, so little wastewater is generated.
This type of communication may not be widespread yet, but it’s building, especially in markets such as Australia where water usage is key. And it has the potential to become a major challenge for the food and beverage processing industry in future.
David Jago is editorial director of the Mintel International Group.
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