Cargill webinar preview: Decoding consumer decisions for next-generation bakery

15 Apr 2024 --- Indulgence remains one of the essential reasons for purchasing bakery products. However, new research from Cargill reveals that consumers want the best of both worlds and expect tasty products with a healthier nutritional profile.

Speaking to Food Ingredients First ahead of its webinar scheduled for April 30, 2024, Tomasz Skrzypczak, insight senior specialist, says that the company “significantly invests in consumer research to better understand and decode our customer’s consumer behavior.”

“Our ‘Sweet Delight – Decoding Consumer Decisions’ usage and attitude research surveyed 1,200 consumers in Europe (Germany, (October 2022)), as part of a global study that included similar research in the US and Brazil,” he says. 

The study reveals unmet needs and motivations that drive purchase behaviors relating to bakery products — cakes, cookies and pastries. 

The research dives deeper than typical studies into not only what consumers say they do but the why behind consumers’ purchase decisions, notes Skrzypczak.

 “One of the aspects that makes this research special is the connection between textures, ingredients and claims. Interestingly, textures rise to the top in the study.”

“Sweet Delight gives us specific consumer insights around texture, claims and ingredients, which allows us to analyze ingredient functionality that will help to deliver a more focused innovation roadmap for our customers,” he adds. 

Cargill’s research also identified several benefit platforms for bakery, aligned with some of the key F&B trends mapped in Cargill’s proprietary TrendTracker research. 

• The three most important are:
  Premium indulgence: Food is at the center of our most enjoyable experiences and indulgence is typically the key objective in bakery. Consumers have expectations for food and beverages to bring joy into a life altered by restrictions. They want to experiment with next level taste and texture.
• Better for you: The pandemic has emphasized the importance of active prevention to maintain good health. Consumers have become even more in tune with positive nutrition, leading them to opt for food or ingredients with health benefits and ingredients. 
• Everyday kind of treat: Income polarization has increased over the years and has accelerated due to the pandemic and the current political — economic context. While some consumers are still willing to pay a premium, an increased number of consumers are now unable to pay extra and are looking for more affordable, value-for-money options. 

“Taste is king, but texture is queen”
Also speaking to us, Ellie van der Burg, bakery marketing manager at Cargill, explains: “We like to say that ‘taste is king, but texture is queen.’ After taste, texture is the second most important product characteristic for consumers of the bakery category.”

Elevating texture through the right ingredients is key to meeting diverse consumer expectations, she flags. “That’s why bakers are increasingly looking to differentiate the look and feel of their product via the dough and batter. Oils and fats are key components in achieving desired textures in baked goods and contribute to overall indulgence.”

Cargill is tapping into some of the macro trends it anticipates, such as investing in low-calorie bakery products.Van Der Burg states: “They also play a role in reaching the claims that consumers are looking for. By offering our baking fats portfolio along with formulation expertise, global presence and baking capabilities, we help our customers meet the most challenging application goals that satisfy consumers.”

Beyond indulgence 
Cargill’s proprietary research identified that butter, cocoa butter and coconut oil have a strong association with premium indulgence for consumers. This is particularly the case when combined together with added nuts and cocoa powder.

“Cargill is a key partner for elevating baking indulgence,” outlines Van Der Burg. “We have an unparalleled portfolio of bakery ingredients in terms of oils & fats, cocoa & chocolate, starches, sweeteners, texturizers, proteins, fibers, functional systems and decorations & inclusions.”

“We know how all these bakery ingredients interact and work together to deliver the best bakery sensation,” she adds. 

Tapping into sustainable confectionery
With demand for even more sustainable global confectionery products expected to rise, Cargill recently announced a commercial partnership with Voyage Foods to scale up and deliver delicious, healthy, and particularly more sustainable alternatives to cocoa-based products along with nut spreads without their traditional ingredients — peanuts & hazelnuts. 

“Alternatives to cocoa-based products are a great accompaniment to the traditional chocolate solutions that Cargill offers its customers,” says Camiel van Beek, category director for bakery and functional systems. 

“This partnership is just one of the many ways that we are future-proofing our portfolio and meeting consumer demands and market regulations when it comes to even more sustainable options.”

You can register for Cargill’s forthcoming webinar entitled “Sweet Delight – Decoding consumer bakery decisions” here.

By Elizabeth Green