FDBusiness.com

Two opposing forces within the sweet biscuits market are at work globally, according to Innova Market Insights. The treat image of biscuits is driving the premium sector forward, while rising health concerns have also raised interest in better-for-you products.

Chocolate biscuits have been one of the main beneficiaries of rising interest in the treat image of biscuits and the market has continued to see growth in most countries despite ongoing financial and health concerns. According to Lu Ann Williams, research manager for Innova Market Insights, this is probably attributable to the ongoing demand for everyday treats and the continuing tendency to “trade off,” by mainly choosing healthy options but then having an indulgent product as a reward. “Biscuits with some sort of chocolate content accounted for a significant 48% of the global sweet biscuits launches recorded by Innova Market Insights in 2011, although this was down from over 60% five years previously, perhaps reflecting the greater choice of biscuits varieties and flavors now on offer,” she notes.

While indulgence is keeping the market for chocolate biscuits buoyant, health can still be a factor in purchasing decisions, although not to the same extent as for some other food and drinks products. Companies have been endeavoring to improve the nutritional profile of their standard products in many instances and this may have inhibited growth in the specific healthier or better-for-you biscuits market. Nearly 30% of global biscuits launches in 2011 were positioned on a health platform of some kind, rising to over 40% for savory biscuits and falling to just over a quarter for sweet biscuits.

By far the most popular health claims were those relating to naturalness and the lack of artificial additives and/or preservatives, reflecting rising levels of interest in clean labeling. Over 30% of launches carrying health claims used this type of positioning, equivalent to 12% of biscuits launches as a whole.