Whole grains and whole wheat are the current darlings of the bread aisle, but consumers are looking beyond the usual suspects as they search for products that pack even more of a nutritious punch.

“The whole grain trend is part of an overarching interest by consumers in more healthful foods,” explains Janice Anderson, vice president of marketing, Flowers Foods, Thomasville, Ga. “We're seeing more and more items in the bread aisle with healthful benefits — from lower calories and lower sodium to higher fiber and portion control.”

Tim Zimmer, vice president of Sara Lee Fresh Bakery, Downers Grove, Ill., has noticed the rise of one ingredient in particular.

“In regards to alternative offerings, there has been a growing awareness, especially among new moms, regarding the importance of DHA omega-3,” he says. “It has been shown to be important to the normal development of the brain, and food products fortified with omega-3 are thus becoming more popular with consumers.”

Organic still relevant

Surprisingly, organic products continue to be a draw for consumers, despite the lingering effects of the recession. Sales of organic and all-natural products are expected to grow 20 percent during the next two years, according to market research firm Mintel. Forty-eight percent of organic food purchasers report they are buying as many or more organic items as they were before the recession, and only 21 percent have cut down or eliminated the number of organic purchases they make. An additional 20 percent are choosing less expensive organic options instead of switching to non-organic foods. This loyalty hasn't gone unnoticed.

“Obviously, the recession has triggered consumers to evaluate their purchasing habits across all items they buy,” says Doug Radi, vice president of marketing, Rudi's Organic Bakery, Boulder, Colo. “Fortunately for Rudi's, we've found that the benefits of organic have a deep meaning and relevance for the consumer. The organic consumer is making tradeoffs in other areas and not buying less organic [products]. Overall, the organic bread segment is still growing and consumers continue to be committed to make healthier choices when it comes to food.”

Radi also pointed to the increasing popularity of ancient grains and the quickly developing gluten-free market as two additional areas of growth.

But in their eagerness to deliver good-for-you bread, manufacturers must not forget that healthfulness still plays second fiddle to one very important factor. “Whole grain and whole wheat attributes are definitely hot right now and consumers are very interested in more choices,” Anderson says. “But no matter what the hot trend is, it still all comes down to taste. Any successful new product must deliver on taste.”

TOP10 Brands: Dollar and Unit Sales (million)

Fresh Bread Brand Names	Dollar Sales	% Change Year Ago		Unit Sales	% Change Year Ago
Private Label	$1,722.4	↓	1.3%	1,158.4	↑	0.5%
Pepperidge Farm	427.0	↓	0.9	128.2	↓	0.2
Nature's Own	411.8	↑	4.7	166.8	↑	6.1
Sara Lee	360.8	↓	12.0	145.0	↓	8.5
Oroweat	320.8	↓	4.8	92.1	↑	3.9
Arnold	316.8	↑	17.4	110.9	↑	23.4
Wonder	218.1	↓	13.8	95.9	↓	4.9
Stroehmann	118.1	↓	7.9	52.7	↓	2.5
Sunbeam-FLR FDS	108.3	↓	6.5	53.0	↓	6.3
LaBrea	102.6	↓	0.8	32.5	↓	3.0

Fresh Bakery Products	52 weeks ended Feb. 21: $ Sales	% Change Prior Year		52 weeks ended Feb. 21 Unit Sales	% Change Prior Year
Bread	$6,551,536,200	↓	4.5	3,031,124,800	↓	4.1%
Crackers	3,759,038,000	↓	1.9	1,465,118,000	↑	1.8
Cookies	3,680,263,000	↑	1.7	1,451,976,000	↓	0.4
Rolls/Buns/Croissants	1,193,695,000	↑	13.0	485,718,100	↑	10.9
Cakes (excl snack/coffee)	715,903,600	↑	2.4	137,087,900	↑	2.7
Donuts	671,291,800	↑	5.1	267,642,500	↑	7.6
Pastry/Danish/Coffeecakes	643,757,100	↓	2.2	266,367,800	↓	4.2
Bagels/Bialys	552,972,000	↑	0.7	188,174,500	↑	3.9
English Muffins	532,156,000	↓	3.3	220,661,200	↑	0.7
Muffins	314,546,300	↓	2.9	106,722,500	↓	1.1
Pies (excl snack pies)	224,272,300	↑	7.4	48,122,710	↑	10.2

Refrigerated Bakery Products	52 weeks ended Feb. 21: $ Sales	% Change Prior Year		52 weeks ended Feb. 21 Unit Sales	% Change Prior Year
Biscuit Dough	$386,338,500	↑	3.3%	293,432,300	↑	1.4%
Cookie/Brownie Dough	373,738,800	↓	401	131,746,300	↓	1.5
Pastry/Dumpling Dough	314,085,900	↓	1.2	131,971,500	↓	1.5
Bread/Rolls/Pastry Dough	267,317,000	↓	0.6	126,895,000	↓	1.1
Cheesecakes	104,751,300	↓	2.9	14,027,610	↑	2.2
Cakes (excl snack/coffee)	82,809,900	↑	12.7	11,257,240	↑	18.4
Bagels/Bialys	62,200,960	↑	5.3	38,257,090	↑	0.01
English Muffins	39,207,830	↑	3.2	19,604,680	↓	0.3
Pies (excl snack pies)	21,892,940	↓	3.8	3,880,436	↓	4.6
Pastry/Danish/Coffeecakes	8,340,634	↑	17.5	2,261,395	↑	24.7
Snack Cakes/Donuts	5,621,052	↑	14.1	1,365,196	↑	26.2
Bread	3,526,245	↓	11.9	1,174,818	↓	11.8
Dinner/Sandwich Rolls/Croissants	806,597	↓	39.5	320,039	↓	46.2
Muffins	52,306	↓	58.1	9,905	↓	61.0

Frozen Bakery Products	52 weeks ended Feb. 21: $ Sales	% Change Prior Year		52 weeks ended Feb. 21: Unit Sales	% Change Prior Year
Fresh Baked Bread/Rolls/Biscuits	$542,258,600	↓	1.0%	202,564,900	↓	3.6%
Pies	335,013,500	↓	1.7	73,102,890	↓	6.5
Sweetgoods (excl cheesecakes)	211,236,900	↑	0.6	53,937,700	↓	2.5
Bread/Rolls/Pastry Dough	137,547,700	↑	7.9	43,323,400	↑	6.7
Pies/Pastry Shells	131,887,400	↑	7.6	51,092,320	↑	1.1
Cheesecakes	71,387,670	↑	9.8	12,410,860	↓	0.6
Bagels	64,238,970	↓	10.1	33,176,940	↓	12.1
Muffins	27,373,210	↑	8.7	7,227,421	↓	10.6
Cookie Dough	5,914,191	↑	8.6	1,466,534	↑	6.5
Cookies	292,698	↑	42.0	74,216	↑	24.1

Source: Infoscan Reviews, Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), Feb. 21, 2010