Culinology - June 2021 - 39

PETITS fours
Consumers are interested in healthy, plant-based
alternatives as well as unique flavors to start the day,
according to data from Label Insight.
The company looked at consumer online searches to
Plant-based, low-sugar shaping breakfast trends
suggesting opportunities may exist for continued innovation
around breakfast meats, according to Label Insight.
" Vegan shoppers and consumers looking for plantsee
what breakfast foods increased in popularity during
the pandemic. Within the breakfast sandwiches and
meals category, product characteristics like " gluten-free, "
" veggie " , " ketogenic " , " low carb " and " healthy " increased
in search volume, while searches for characteristics like
" sugar free, " " high fiber, " " paleo " and " organic " increased
within the cereal category.
" The pandemic has certainly urged and possibly forced
some consumers to prioritize their health and wellness, "
said Thea Bourianne, solutions consulting manager at
Label Insight. " Older individuals as well as individuals with
underlying medical conditions like diabetes, obesity and
high blood pressure are more at risk of developing more
serious complications from COVID-19. Consumers are
looking for products that will help them combat COVID-19
and reduce their susceptibility, whether this is through
dieting and weight loss or purchasing products with
functional benefits to help build up immunity. "
The top plant-based searches were for protein powders
and dairy alternatives like cheese and milk. Searches for
dairy-free yogurt increased later in 2020, with coconut
yogurt attracting the largest search volume, followed by
oat milk yogurt. Traditional meat-based products led for
consumers when it came to breakfast patties and links,
38 | Culinology | JUNE 2021
based options are not sure what is available to them, " Ms.
Bourianne said. " There is a lot of room for innovation and
messaging to consumers, particularly in frozen. "
Searches for frozen breakfast sandwiches and meals
surged during the pandemic, growing 311% in early 2020
and remaining elevated throughout the year, driven by the
shift toward at-home consumption.
" This surge of frozen searches may be attributed to
consumers seeking out quick and convenient breakfast
options, or it could possibly be due to the stockpiling of
frozen foods that was occurring at the beginning of the
pandemic, " Ms. Bourianne said.
A similar story emerged within the cereal category, with
searches for " instant " growing 201% during the first part
of the year and searches for " quick " increasing 335%.
" Working from home eliminates the to-and-from
commute time and gives individuals time to dedicate
their morning to making breakfast, " Ms. Bourianne
said. " Additionally, not commuting may take away the
convenience of eating breakfast out, so consumers likely
turned to their local retailer to seek out a convenient,
make-at-home breakfast option. "
Trending ingredients within the cereal category include
ancient grains, millet ingredients, sesame ingredients,
spelt ingredients, cacao, flaxseed, chia seed, pumpkin
Culinology - June 2021

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