MADISON, Wis. — An expanding array of good-for-you products is pulling health-conscious customers into the dairy department, according to What’s In Store 2011, the new report from the International Dairy•Deli•Bakery Association. The IDDBA’s 25th anniversary report finds that fortified, fiber-rich, fat-specific, and organic options line dairy coolers as the anti-obesity movement in the United States ramps up.
Significant growth for the yogurt category is predicted through 2014 with full-fat yogurt taking a sizeable portion (64.5%) of the business. Dairy is an ideal method to ingest functional ingredients such as probiotics and prebiotics that are preserved by the category’s cold chain delivery. Dairy products have long been highly regarded for their nutritive properties, attributes that dairy manufacturers are breaking ground to stack with more good-for-you functions. With First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign against childhood obesity in full swing, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of their dietary intakes. Sixty-four percent of consumers report someone in their house is overweight, the according to the IDDBA’s Consumer in the Deli: Attitudes, Buying Behavior & Purchase Drivers. More than half of respondents have someone in their household with high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
Yogurt evolves to fill health, snack, dessert roles with functional ingredients
Yogurt innovations are leading the dairy stampede, crowned by the “health halo” that surrounds an ideal nutritional food. Yogurt is portable, compatible with functional ingredients, and available in a full spectrum of flavors. A typically low-calorie/high-protein food, yogurt varieties can be anywhere from plain to fruity, or even sweet treats. Sales of Greek yogurt, with its thick, lavish texture, are strong, as are 100-calorie decadent dessert-inspired yogurts, like strawberry cheesecake and lemon torte. Probiotics are the healthy bacteria that are thought to have beneficial effects in the gastrointestinal tract, such as aiding digestion and building the immune system. Prebiotics are used as an energy source by certain probiotics. Some yogurts are primed with B vitamins, while others are sweetened with stevia, a calorie-free, natural sugar substitute.
Milk, hummus, and cottage cheese expand as healthy dietary additions
Milk isn’t getting squeezed out of the picture as dairy products hover near the forefront of nutritional innovation: enhanced milks, such as those containing vitamins and minerals spanning from calcium to iron and zinc, and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, are new fixtures in the dairy department. Low-fat and fat-free milks with Vitamin E, and those packed with antioxidants and plant sterols, are ushering functional foods with specific health benefits into the daily lives of dairy consumers. Products that promote better gut health, improved immunity, heart, bone, and nervous system health, and even beauty benefits are now commonplace in daily meals. Hummus is leading growth in the flavored spreads and dips category. Small single-serve packages and exotic flavors like spinach artichoke are making this dip a new mainstay that is only increasing in popularity. With less fat, Greek yogurt is also moving into sour cream’s traditional role as a base for dips for a healthier alternative. Cottage cheese has become a medium for increased fiber consumption, from servings that provide 20% of the recommended RDI to one-hundred calorie packs of fiber-enriched Cottage cheese with fruit on the side.
What's in Store 2011, our 25th anniversary edition, is a 206-page trends report, that details consumer and industry trends affecting the dairy case, cheese case, bakery, deli, and foodservice supermarket departments. Its 196 tables, developed in cooperation with leading industry firms and associations, include department sales, per capita consumption, consumer preferences, and random-weight, UPC, and private label sales data. The full report is available from IDDBA. The cost is $99 for IDDBA members and $399 for non-members, plus shipping and handling. Along with the book, readers have access to What’s in Store Online, featuring up to 53 quarterly updated, downloadable sales tables with random-weight (PLU), UPC, and system 2-coded data. In addition, the Web site offers timely white papers, trends articles, and links to all of the businesses that are referenced in the What’s in Store book. For more information, or to order, call the IDDBA Education Department at 608.310.5000 or visit the organization's Web site, http://www.iddba.org/.
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Information on IDDBA’s research, education, and other industry activities is also available on its Web site, www.iddba.org, or by calling 608.310.5000. Now in its 47th year, IDDBA specializes in promoting the dairy, deli, cheese, and bakery industries. Member companies enjoy many benefits and services including the annual seminar and expo, leading-edge research, D and computer-based training programs, management tools, an annual trends report, and a member directory of key industry contacts.
Source: The International Dairy•Deli•Bakery Association
