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Insight by Gama Compass
MANCHESTER – 3rd December 2024: Low fat claims and formulations have been declining in new dairy products over recent years, the latest insights from Gama Compass can reveal, highlighting that the trend towards ‘better-for-you’ options in food and drinks, although undoubtedly significant, is far from universal or one-dimensional.
While ‘health’ continues to grab the headlines as a food and drink industry megatrend, more detailed analysis of product innovation at the category level reveals a far more complex picture, and occasionally surprising counter-trends. One such example is the downward track of ‘low fat’ claims in dairy foods such as yoghurt, butter, milk, cheese and dairy alternatives: only 6% of dairy food launches reported on Gama Compass between 2022-24 flagged ‘low fat’ benefits, well down on the 11% recorded in 2016-18, and 10% as recently as 2019-2021. Closer inspection of the data reveals that this evolution is not happening in isolation: indeed, as dairy moves away from traditional ‘dieting’ claims such as ‘low fat’, it is simultaneously undergoing a shift towards other concepts, in particular plant-based, high protein and indulgent formulations.
Read this Insight by Gama Compass in the next issue of Gama News.
The marked change being witnessed in dairy formulations and marketing serves as a timely reminder that key industry megatrends, such as ‘food as medicine’, are not always distributed evenly at the category level. In the case of dairy, then, ‘low fat’ is no longer a key consumer driver: perhaps either because it is viewed as too ‘middling’ by consumers who prioritise health and functionality, or too sacrificial by those who value taste and treating above all other considerations.
“While ‘food as medicine’ continues to be an important and developing megatrend, the subtle changes the dairy category has undergone over the last 11 years reaffirm the importance of understanding the impact of such trends at the category level”, commented Gama insights director Tom Warden. “The reorienting of dairy away from generic ‘low fat’ claims to more targeted functional and ‘free from’ positioning on the one hand, and indulgence positioning on the other, is a classic case in point: and being alive to such complexities is now indispensable for those brands that want to ensure they remain in lockstep with the exacting and changing demands of their target consumer”.
Source: Gama Compass
About Gama Compass
Take a more informed approach to product strategy, increase profitability and reduce costly mistakes with Gama Compass, Gama’s premium subscription service for the FMCG sector.
Developed with the industry’s leading names, Gama Compass offers powerful insights that allow you to unlock new opportunities and streamline your innovation pipeline.
To learn more about Gama Compass, contact Tom Warden, Gama insights director, at info@gamaconsumer.com.
About Gama
Gama is a global provider of business information and services specializing in product innovation and international trade. Through our worldwide network of over 100 experts in more than 50 countries, we offer high-quality news, research, analysis and partnering services. We deliver actionable insights, enabling you to make more informed decisions and supporting you to unlock new business opportunities.
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