According to 2017 ice cream research from global market research firm Mintel, only 11% of U.S. consumers claim to be cutting back on ice cream or frozen treats for health-related reasons. What’s more, 10% of consumers went on record as actively avoiding healthy frozen dairy treats because, well, frozen dairy is supposed to be a treat, not a health food.
Despite all the changes that racked the world — and our corner of it — these past 12 months, as dairy developers survey the trends and technologies that will shape their R&D efforts in 2018, one theme looms above all others: clean labeling.
Thanks to emerging studies, an ingredient like milkfat that was once taken out of food formulations due to health misconceptions is now getting appreciation.
Clean-label formulation can’t come at the expense of functionality. Those in the R&D lab need to consider the ramifications of swapping out traditional ingredients for alternatives.
If you were hoping that this clean label thing would have blown over by now, you can keep hoping. Or just throw in the towel and accept it. Market researchers Innova found that in the dairy sector, items with one or more clean-label claims accounted for 49% of 2016’s launches to date, up from 41% in 2015. Innova counted claims related to natural, organic, non-GMO or no-preservatives/additives.
Consumers tend to see foods with added ingredients as ‘processed.’ Yet they also consider fortified foods ‘worthwhile.’ One survey finds that consumers trust ‘functional foods.’ So what’s a dairy processor to do?
Since 1998, the International Food Information Council has taken Americans’ temperature on the topic of functional foods and beverages. The IFIC assesses their attitudes and awareness and gives the industry an idea of precisely what consumers look for when they shop for products that promise benefits beyond basic nutrition.