Replacement of fat in formulations, without sacrificing taste and functionality, is a challenging (but blooming) opportunity for prepared food makers. Although “fear of fat” among consumers has died down considerably as more detailed research and information on fat in the diet continue to come to light, projections by Sloan Trends Inc. indicate fat-free and low-fat item sales will enjoy big growth–as much as 16% in 2016—with a significantly greater proportion of males driving the category than ever before.
Researchers from Yale University and the University of Manitoba, Canada, discovered that culturally held stereotypes about gender (that women eat more healthfully than men and the latter tend to gravitate towards unhealthy foods like fried chicken and potato chips) implicitly influence food preference. Plus, cutting fat from the diet is still perceived as a “quick fix,” since the calories from fat are more than double those of protein and carbohydrates.