Baking & Snack - March 2018 - 34

CONSUMERS MINI PRODUCT
who didn't recognize the term clean label

2015: 45% * 2017: 31%

GlobalData

struggle, fast-casual is a haven of growth, and a major
factor is its ability to deliver food perceived as higher
quality at a more affordable price. "Fast-casual, we're
still seeing as a growth segment with a lot of activity
around different types of bread being used different
ways," Mr. Hanson said.
Limited-casual restaurants, whose dollar menus
brought great success for positioning themselves as
the value option, are now challenged with that restricted perception in consumers' minds. Full-service
restaurant chains like Applebee's and Chili's are struggling not with value but familiarity. "It's difficult to
get consumers to walk in and sit down for two people
to spend $40 to $50," Mr. Hanson explained. "If they
are going to make that investment, consumers want
something different."
Fast-casual strikes the perfect balance of perceived
quality at an affordable price. "You can sit down; there's
usually an open kitchen and better atmosphere with
good quality food," he continued. "It's all on trend and
at a price point that's higher but reasonable. Consumers
see it as a sweet spot in quality and price."
Bakers can enjoy that sweet spot, too, by offering these
restaurants breads that come with a bit higher quality
perception. Artisan touches such as scoring or ingredients such as ancient grains, seeds and nuts can help bakery items keep up with menus. "Consumers don't mind
paying for preferences of quality," Ms. Harrington said.
"If they want a wheat bun, and it's an upscale wheat bun,
they will pay money for that."

Clean and innovative ingredients
It should come as no surprise that clean label and innovative ingredients create opportunities for bakers to get
their products some attention in foodservice, c-stores
and supermarkets. These ingredients complement the
concepts of freshness and quality and help consumers
feel better about buying indulgences.
"People are looking for foods that don't have any artificial additives, coloring," Mr. Richard said. "They want
real and natural."
Clean label is a trend that has not only been surging
in recent years but also doesn't seem to be slowing down.
A 2015 GlobalData survey, reported in "What's In Store
2018," asked consumers what they thought the term
"clean label" meant. In 2015, 45% of consumers didn't
even recognize the term. In the first quarter of 2017, that

34 Baking & Snack March 2018 / www.bakingandsnack.com

sales were up 8%
between 2015 and 2016.
Nielsen Fresh

number had decreased to 31%, suggesting that more
Americans are becoming familiar with the concept. At
the in-store bakery, this is something consumers have
come to expect.
"Having a level of transparency and recognition of
what's on the label is key," Mr. Solsvig said. "Consumers
want to understand what is in the products. Clean label
is a trend we've seen grow over time."
While bread may have been villainized in the past
among health-conscious consumers for being a heavycarb product, bakers can find some success in minimizing and simplifying their ingredient list. "Bread is one of
the simplest foods; it's just a handful of ingredients," Mr.
Richard continued.
Even indulgent products, though they contain sugar
and fat, can get the attention of consumers looking for
treats they can feel good about with either a clean label
or a formula packed with better-for-you ingredients. Just
Desserts, San Francisco, frames its new product development around these ideas of premium clean label ingredients and unique attributes such as nut-free, vegan,
organic or better-for you. Michael Mendes, CEO, said
the company's fastest growing products are its vegan offering, grab-and-go cupcake and bite program - which
is clean label and organic - and its new Just Delights
Sprouted Grain product line.
This latest addition to the Just Desserts portfolio features bite-sized desserts made with less added sugar, less
sodium and more protein and fiber. "Using a combination of premium ancient grains, seeds for protein and
texture, and sweetened with the addition of dried fruits,
we have landed on a product that has an exception nutritional profile and tastes great," Mr. Mendes said.
No one channel is taking off right now. There is no
surprising new place where baked goods can grab some
extra sales or expand their market share. But in every
channel, bakers will find there are opportunities, even
small ones, for growth. It's about seeing why people shop
for food the way they do and delivering on those needs
and desires. "It's really getting a pulse on what people
want and trying to break out of the more traditional
view of what shoppers consume," Mr. Richard said. That
pulse beats for grab-and-go and portion control, quality
and fresh, and ingredients consumers know from their
own homes. By beating in time with that pulse - and in
the appropriate channels - bakers can grab consumer
attention and dollars.

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