Health and Wellness for the New Year
As we approach the New Year, consumers will again begin to look for way to improve their way of life. Health has become one of the public’s biggest concerns today, leaving consumers searching for value-added nutrition from many of the foods they customarily consume.
This phenomenon has opened the door for the development of a whole range of healthful products. Among the many challenges that product developers face is how to make more healthful products taste as good as their conventional counterparts without exorbitant increases in their price. "The best part of creating this product line was not sacrificing the taste and leaving the indulgent part of the eating sensation," says Puratos Sr. Patisserie Research Manager, Chuck Galliher. Puratos' Great Taste & Wellness line of products combines nutritional and health benefits with great flavor, texture, and shelf life. The company regularly conducts consumer taste panels throughout the development process to ensure optimal overall performance.
"Puratos has a variety of bases and mixes that make excellent whole grain muffins, cakes, cookies and Danish," explains Kathryn Power, Assistant Trade Marketing Manager, for the Cherry Hill, N.J.- based company. "Each product has more than one health benefit. For example, all of the products are free of hydrogenated oils and trans fats, while being either whole grain, no-sugar added, reduced sugar, or reduced fat."
Development of the Great Taste & Wellness line was in direct response to the growing consumer segment that seeks healthier and more convenient products with great taste. According to Puratos, consumers' key discriminator when it comes to a more healthful product is "best taste and value" versus its regular equivalent. A line that offers 100 percent whole grain, no-sugar added or reduced sugar, trans-fat free or hydrogenated oil-free options gives bakers the opportunity to produce products that have genuine health claims, but yet deliver taste beyond consumers' expectations.
Taste is reportedly the major criteria of interest to consumers when making purchasing decisions for baked products. As such, Puratos wants to ensure that its Great Taste & Wellness line exceeds consumers' expectations.
"We did a sensory analysis test with all types of consumers and industry specialists during the IBIE in Orlando this past October," Power adds. "The results were very exciting. Our Tegral Whole Grain Cake and Muffin had an 83 percent approval rating."
As consumers continue their search for healthy baked treats, researchers at Puratos work diligently to add delicious offerings to their Great Taste and Wellness range. Taste panel results so far indicate that each of these products delight and surprise the consumers with respect to taste, texture, appearance, and value.