Baking & Snack - August 2017 - 52

DIETARY CONSIDERATIONS

wellness in a variety of ways. Some are
revamping whole lines of products and
removing ingredients while others are
trying to incorporate more nutrients and
vitamins.
For example, General Mills, Inc.,
Minneapolis, focuses on cleaning up
ingredient labels as well as adding healthier attributes to products.
"Consumer expectations for food
companies have never been higher," said
Kendall Powell, chairman and CEO of
General Mills, in an April 2017 letter to
stakeholders. "Consumers are increasingly
looking for food that reflects their values, from a company they trust. We have
responded by expanding our offerings,
introducing new benefits and increasing
transparency. We are growing our natural and organic business, removing artificial colors and flavors from many of our
products and introducing new tools that
provide consumers easy access to information about the food we make."
Mondelez International, Deerfield,
IL, also plans to heighten the healthfulness of its products. The company recently debuted a new portfolio of products under its Véa brand as a part of its
goal to be a global leader in well-being

snacks. Available in three formats, including seed crackers, crisps and mini
crunch bars, the snacks are designed to
drive growth in the savory cracker segment and developed for the well-beingfocused millennial.
In its "2016 Impact for Growth Progress
Report," the snacking company highlighted how it met many of its goals ahead of
schedule. The report revealed that 26% of
its revenue came from its Better Choice
options, and its portion-control options
have grown by 39%. It also increased its
use of whole grains by 25%.
"Well-being is a significant growth
opportunity for us, both in developed
and emerging markets," said Tim Cofer,
chief growth officer, Mondelez. "In fact,
2017 will be our biggest year ever in
the well-being space with unprecedented innovation and renovation of our
portfolio."
As snack manufacturers continue to
adapt to this changing landscape, they can
simultaneously encourage consumers to
make healthier decisions and position their
brands as having consumers' best interest
at heart. Elizabeth Moskow, culinary director at Sterling-Rice Group, noted that this
shift may also allow companies to make

Labeling guidance
While FDA has announced its intent to extend the compliance dates for
the new Nutrition Facts Label final rules to provide additional time for
implementation, many bakers are still waiting on the agency to provide
final guidance on fiber and added sugars.
"You have to think about the top priorities for the industry, which
are food safety, transparency and providing consumers with clear and
concise information," said Lee Sanders, senior vice-president of government relations and public affairs, American Bakers Association (ABA).
"What's standing out and keeping bakers from moving forward any
faster with labeling changes is that they don't have all the information
needed to make critical decisions, mainly final guidance for both fiber
and added sugars, which is crucial for them."
In the meantime, ABA is focused on solving technical issues and gathering additional information from FDA that clearly answers bakers' concerns. The association has also been working to address issues regarding
small packaging, folic acid measurement and other critical issues.
"ABA has been very focused on making sure that all of our members'
needs are addressed," Ms. Sanders said. "We certainly have been looking at all aspects of the new labeling requirements, what it means for
our members and helping them prepare to comply."

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Baking & Snack - August 2017

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