On Wednesday, chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi said mini cans helped boost PepsiCo’s organic sales by 2% in the beverage category this year, and snack innovations helped grow organic revenue 5% for the company’s global snacks business.
I think the main reasons for the increase in smaller packs is for freshness and more choice. Take a gin and tonic, for instance: there’s a world of difference between the tonic in a new mini can or bottle and one that’s flat and taken from the fridge half full; similarly, for a rum and coke or a whisky dry ginger. Fresh and sparkling is certainly best.
Sadly, smaller portion packs don’t necessarily mean you eat less. I heard one girl say on a TV diet show last night, ‘They serve them in packs of two, so you are obviously meant to eat both’. Noooo! Save us all from becoming a world of fatties, please (and that’s not directed at any food and drink companies). I know that it’s far easier said than done to achieve great taste in slimming options, and so much is already being done in terms of lower-calorie formulations.
And talking of innovation in food, The Great British Bake Off TV show starts next week (we’re all very excited in our office) and I think baking guru Mary Berry did us all a favour recently when she explained her enviable figure: “I just have a tiny taste of a slice of cake,” she said. “Never the whole slice. I can’t afford to.”
A huge Mary Berry talking about baking? Now that just isn’t going to happen.
And there’s certainly a big move to taster-style starters and desserts; mini portions of starters in mezze or antipasti style and then perhaps four, six or eight mini desserts so you get a chance to sample everything – just a taste of each and not one big, stodgy puding.
Yet, for all those planning on revealing themselves in swimwear in the coming weeks, watch those taster menus and remember to tot up the calories. They could bring you more than you wished for!
If you would like to enter your small portion pack for beverages into the World Beverage Innovation Awards 2014, please go to our official FoodBev Awards website.
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