laims varies from region to region however, with product launches accompanied by a health claim jumping 75 percent in the US and Australia, and 70 percent in Latin America, but falling to less than 30 percent in Asian markets.Innova Market Insights divides health claims and positioning into two types – passive, such as low and light, organic and gluten-free, and active, which involve the addition of particular ingredients, such as calcium, protein and fibre, or the promotion of specific benefits such as heart health or digestive health.
Globally, passive claims dominated in the bread market, with over 40 percent of launches using them in 2013, compared with just five percent using active claims of some kind. Again this varies regionally, with over 11 percent of launches using active claims in the USA, compared with six percent in Asia and three percent in Europe.
The most popular health claims in the bread market overall referred to naturalness, with one-fifth of 2103 launches using one or more claims relating to naturalness, an additive- or preservative-free formulation or an organic positioning. Nearly 17 percent used either high-in-/source-of-fibre claims or a wholegrain positioning.
In terms of active health claims, usage was much lower, with the most frequently used being vitamin and mineral fortification, featuring on 1.5 percent of launches, ahead of omega 3/DHA fortification and heart health, with about one percent each.
Claims relating to naturalness were particularly common in the US, with over one-third of tracked launches using this style of health claim, and a similar percentage used claims relating to fibre/wholegrain content. Wholegrain products have continued to grow in popularity in the US and the use of ancient grains is also on the rise.
