The Great Grain Robbery!
The New Health Halos
With buzzwords such as ‘unprocessed’, ‘natural’, ‘gluten free’ and ‘unrefined’ being thrown around alongside claims relating to high levels of protein, fibre, manganese, essential amino acids and calcium, it’s easy to see how a health halo has enveloped these grains. The breakfast cereal category has been quick to take advantage of this. Kellogg’s launched its Ancient Legends brand in the UK earlier this year and Quaker expanded its range with four new lines under the Super Grains name in the US.
Are These Products As Healthy As They Appear?
Or are these just clever marketing ploys to drive sales back into the category and an opportunity to increase the price of a product by as much as 300%? The Cheerios with Ancient Grains product launched last year in the US contains around five times as much sugar as the original Cheerios recipe. So a health food it is not. It’s fair to say that marketing could be considered by some to be misleading when it comes to these products. If you think you’re getting 450g of quinoa and chia seeds in Kellogg’s Ancient Legends Muesli Quinoa & Chia Seeds, think again. The product contains just 2.5% quinoa and 1% chia seeds! Not exactly unexpected considering the price point, but something some shoppers may be surprised by.
So Is It Worth Consumers Spending Their Money?
Whilst ancient grains have their health benefits, slapping the words ‘ancient grains’ on a product does not make it inherently healthy. Only through reading nutritional labels can consumers make an informed decision as to whether the product is worth paying for or whether they are, in fact, being robbed. I’m sure you’ll agree, there have been some really interesting new launches this year and we are certainly looking forward to seeing what other NPD 2016 brings. If you’ve a new, innovative challenger brand product and are looking for help with launching your range or would just like to discuss this growing market, then call us on 01803 203387 or email at hamish@hra-global.com.
