Current trends for the healthy and nutritious show no signs of petering out anytime soon, affecting all manners of the food and drink industries. In order to stay in tune with what’s popular among consumers, more operators are responding to the call to cater to the ever-evolving preferences for the healthy yet indulgent.
In correlation with the ongoing health trend in the industry, bakers have been incorporating more inclusions with benefits that boost health as well as flavour. Gastro health is an example of this, which sourdough bread promotes. Whilst this may not be a traditional inclusion, making sourdough bread means including wild yeast instead of natural yeast into the mixture, which neutralises phytic acids, making it easier for the bread to be digested and for your body to absorb minerals that would normally be stopped by phytic acids.
Natural sweeteners are another inclusion to promote gut health. A popular natural sweetener is inulin, a fibrous (comprised of fibres) carbohydrate that enhances digestion. You may find more operators using natural sweeteners with multiple benefits to appeal to consumers who are looking for more value in their purchase.
An important aspect of appealing to the indulgent consumer with health-based inclusions is choosing those that enhance the visual presentation of the product. Seeds are an important example of this. It has been found that the growth of seeded breads has outperformed that of the entire bread market, relatively and will be expected to continue doing so. Seeds provide breads with an effective visual and nutritional enhancement. Examples include poppy, pumpkin, teff, chia and flax seeds which are becoming more popular as inclusions due to their versatility. Even though some seeds are more expensive, operators will be able capitalise on the opportunity to undertake premiumisation of their products, justifying higher prices due to the increased quality and health value they now hold.
As much added value is made by the functional benefits of your inclusions, you may need to put in additional effort in creating awareness of what they can do for your customers’ health.
When it comes to health-boosting inclusions, especially niche ones, it’s likely that at least some consumers may not be knowledgeable about an inclusion’s benefits without informative promotional material. With the benefits of seeds for example, as different types have varying advantages, it will be incremental in incorporating the added value of these inclusions where possible. By listing the aspects of the inclusions on the products packaging; promotional leaflets, signage on both the counters and the individual product’s display, bakers will have a much better chance of having their customers making a fully informed purchase based on their preferences for health and indulgence.
Additionally, it will also be useful to promote newly utilised inclusions via social media. Through platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, well-presented healthy food products are trending massively and are often prone to high user engagement. Sharing high quality images alongside the functional benefits of your healthy bakes are a fantastic way of not only raising awareness of your new inclusions but also your brand as a whole.
For the UK’s best range of effective; top quality packaging, bakeware, cookware and all manners of catering equipment, be sure to visit Alliance’s online store. Featuring selections consisting of effective, recycled, renewable and versatile materials, we continue to offer products that meet all industry and consumer needs.
