Consumers shun low sugar and fat cake claims

Consumers are increasingly turned off by cakes and biscuits making low sugar and low fat claims, preferring instead those boasting intrinsic health benefits, according to new research from Mintel.

Speaking at a conference run by the FDF's biscuit, cake, chocolate and confectionery sub-sector group, Mintel's trends and innovation director David Jago noted a shift in behaviour.

He said there had been a definite shift in focus towards products with 'all natural', 'wholegrain', 'organic' or 'additive-free' claims, with variants of the latter phrase appearing on 9% of all new product introductions in the UK biscuit, cake and confectionery sector between 2005 and 2007.

Additives, he said, were now "synonymous with junk in consumers' eyes", something for which the industry itself was partly to blame by failing to explain what they were and why they were there.

Vitamin and mineral fortification claims were also becoming outmoded, while references to dieting and calorie control were gradually disappearing, he said.

"Even portion-control is shifting away from 100 cal-per-pack claims, with manufacturers instead using phrases like, 'a little bit of ...'," he added.