MUNICH— In today’s food landscape, the idea of health and wellness is not so cut-and-dry. Unlike other areas of the world such as the European Union (EU), where the voluntary Nutri-Score program grades foods from A to F based on healthy attributes, American consumers often autonomously determine how foods fit their individual wellness goals.
That requires a level of literacy about food and labeling, but it also means there’s a greater need for two-way communication between consumers and food producers, including commercial bakeries.
During the iba 2023 trade fair, which took place October 22-26 in Munich, the American Bakers Association (ABA) hosted a panel discussion to address some of the best practices for navigating health and wellness trends in the US.
Moderated by Eric Dell, president and CEO of ABA, panelists included Cyrille Filott, global strategist for consumer foods packaging and logistics at Rabobank; Andy Brimacombe, president of Puratos USA; and Tony Gavin, president of Horsham, PA-based Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU).
At the heart of the conversation, listening emerged as one of the most important factors in helping consumers in their quest for wellness.
It’s hard for commercial baking companies to keep up with consumers, especially when technology and social media enable public opinions around food to shift faster than a weathervane in a Midwest autumn. Then again, changing regulations — especially those that lead to reformulations — can leave consumers feeling flummoxed.
Based on that, Filott identified three different types of consumer groups on health-and-wellness journeys: conscious, conflicted and confused.
Conscious consumers are those who are focused at a high level on issues like sustainability, under which health and wellness can fall.
“These consumers are very aware of environmental sustainability and also nutrition,” Filott said. “They look for better-for-you products that are good for themselves and the environment. We believe there’s a growing group of consumers that is becoming more conscious about the properties and attributes of the foods they buy.”
And then there are conflicted consumers, who understand what’s good for them from nutritional and environmental standpoints but are not willing — or unable — to pay the premium prices that often accompany those attributes, especially during times of steep inflation.
“The question becomes, ‘Is this a product I really need,’” Filott said, noting that conflict can also occur when consumers feel the need to make healthy choices but also crave indulgent treats.
And then there’s the confused consumer, who can get caught up in a cacophony of label claims, left to wonder what it all means. While some consumers in areas like the EU might find themselves confused by the Nutri-Score system, in the US, people are often left to decide for themselves if something is healthy, indulgent … or both.
“Health and wellness is not new to baking. It’s always been an integral part of what we do." — Tony Gavin | president | Bimbo Bakeries USA
“For food companies, this is powerful information to build your strategies around,” Filott said.
In fact, Gavin emphasized the importance of remembering the deep history that baked goods have with healthy eating.
“Health and wellness is not new to baking,” Gavin said. “It’s always been an integral part of what we do. Grain-based foods have always been an essential part of the diet.”
It’s an important message for consumer to hear, but that goes two ways. Commercial bakers must also listen to their consumers, and today, they must do so more actively than ever before.
That means listening to not only what consumers are asking for but also to the parts they don’t quite understand. Guiding people on their food choices can not only allow them to make informed choices, but it can also build a deeper level of trust between consumers and the brands they purchase.
To reach that deeper level, Puratos conducts its Taste Tomorrow research, something this global ingredient supplier conducts year-round with consumers in more than 50 countries, coupled with social listening research and ongoing interviews with foodies in seven major cities around the world.
“We see significant acceleration of people looking for functional benefits,” Brimacombe said. “We could surmise that the acceleration in the US will likely follow some of those European trends in the coming years.”
Keeping up with that acceleration will require not only a mindset shift but also a change in strategies to go with it.
“Health and wellness has gone to the next level,” Gavin said. “That requires bakers to think differently about strategy, about product innovation, and to really address these changing consumer attitudes.”
For BBU, that starts with building a healthier product portfolio through ingredient lists that include less sodium and more whole grains and natural sweeteners.
“Clean labels are absolutely essential as we drive health and wellness,” Gavin said, calling back on the consumer profiles that Filott described. “Consumers want to understand what they’re eating.”
Addressing strategies for improving those ingredient labels, Gavin emphasized the importance of making products more vitamin-enriched, as well as adding fiber and other nutrients.
In the end, clean labels are important, but the key is listening to what consumers need and showing them that they’re being heard.
“We’ve got to be more transparent with consumers in terms of how we’re making products,” Gavin said. “These are the top-of-mind things we need to focus on in the industry.”
