Since 2020, inflation and corresponding rising food costs have affected the shopping choices of many economically challenged consumers. In response, they shifted their spending habits to focus on essential goods and traded down for more affordable options.
Consumer prices hit their peak in 2022, but have since started to ease, and when it comes to food, consumers are indulging more financially both at home and dining out.1 As consumers explore this new-found financial flexibility, they can re-prioritize healthy eating decisions.
Increased Demand for Fresh, Clean Label Foods
As consumers continue to prioritize their health and wellness, there’s an increased demand for natural and clean label foods. To consumers, this is defined as products made with recognizable ingredients and favorable nutrition facts. This also means consumers are avoiding artificial colors and flavors. In fact, 69% of American consumers prioritize products devoid of artificial colors and flavors over those labeled as “natural.”2
Shoppers are also continuing to put an emphasis on fresh and high-quality food & beverage products. When selecting which food products to buy, taste is the top priority for 81% of consumers, followed by price at 69%.1 This shows that shoppers can and are prioritizing the way their foods taste over how much they cost.
Value-Adding Products are Worth the Price Point
Food products with added benefits have more value to consumers—such as functional benefits or advantageous packaging. For example, many on-the-go consumers value convenient, individually packaged snacks that can easily go wherever they go.
Similarly, perceived healthier foods also have added value. A series of research experiments have shown that consumers would pay 5.6% to 91.5% more for healthier foods, with an average of 30.7%, with a particular willingness to pay more for foods with reduced fat content.3
Fresh, Premium Products Keep Consumers Coming Back for More
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ZIGRES - STOCK.ADOBE.COMFurthermore, long-lasting products with a generous shelf life add value for consumers. Longer shelf life and prolonged freshness means less food and money wasted and fewer trips to the grocery store.
This demand for long-lasting, premium-quality products can pose challenges for manufacturers. With the help of Kemin® solutions, manufacturers can create food products that provide value by staying fresher, safer, longer and appealing to consumers’ senses.
FORTIUM® R for Improved Sensory Attributes
Food products that maintain their sensory qualities, such as color and aroma, have the most grocery-shelf appeal. FORTIUM® R from Kemin is designed to maintain these qualities throughout products’ shelf life and into consumers’ homes.
FORTIUM R is a rosemary-based solution designed for optimal protection against color and flavor degradation caused by oxidation. The active compound that gives rosemary extract its oxidation fighting power is carnosic acid. Carnosic acid works as a free-radical scavenger to help delay lipid oxidation, which improves shelf life of foods, making rosemary extract an effective clean label alternative to traditional synthetic antioxidants.
By delaying lipid oxidation, FORTIUM R helps improves not just color and flavor, but also overall product quality in a wide range of food applications, including:
- Baked Goods
- Cereals
- Nuts
- Snack Foods
DoughSoft™ for Delicious Baked Goods & Less Waste
Ideal for manufacturers specifically looking to improve the quality of baked goods—while maintaining their price point—DoughSoft™ is a dough conditioner that can help commercial bakeries extend shelf life and reduce staling without sacrificing taste and texture.
DoughSoft is a dry formulation of enzymes designed to improve the crumb softness and textural quality of bakery products during storage, which can therefore extend shelf life and act as anti-staling agents.
Less staling means longer shelf life and reduced waste—along with delighted customers enjoying baked goods with improved taste and texture. Additional benefits of formulating with DoughSoft include:
- Improved dough handling properties
- Increased final product volume
- Improved crumb structure and texture
Unparalleled Protection with SHIELD® V
Unlike traditional preservation methods, SHIELD® V is a consumer-friendly, clean label solution that helps to inhibit and delay mold growth in baked goods such as cakes, muffins, fillings, and more without negatively impacting their sensory attributes.
SHIELD V is a clean label alternative to potassium sorbate offering comparable shelf life extension and protection against mold growth.4 This ingredient is a blend of:
- Buffered vinegar
- Botanical extracts
This combination utilizes naturally occurring active molecules that work together to slow down the development of molds, ensuring product freshness over an extended period, which allows manufacturers to meet the demands of label-conscious consumers without compromising on taste or sensory attributes.
Plus, SHIELD V protection goes beyond baked goods. It’s also ideal for emulsions, sauces, dressings, and other highly aqueous foods.
Produce High-Quality Products that Appeal to Consumers’ Senses
Source: KeminToday’s shoppers are re-prioritizing their health when making purchases, and they’re becoming more label conscious—on the lookout for clean labels and natural ingredients. And they want it all without sacrificing taste, texture, or quality.
With Kemin solutions, manufacturers can formulate products that stay fresher, safer, longer and appeal to label-conscious consumers.
Learn more here.
Sources:
1 Mintel, In-Store-Bakery-US-2024
2 FONA International, What’s Next in Clean Label: 2020 FONA National Clean Survey Special Report
3 Alsubhi M, Blake M, Nguyen T, Majmudar I, Moodie M, Ananthapavan J. Consumer willingness to pay for healthier food products: A systematic review. Obes Rev. 2023 Jan;24(1):e13525. doi: 10.1111/obr.13525. Epub 2022 Nov 7. PMID: 36342169; PMCID: PMC10909406.
4 Internal study, SD-24-26792
