Article: Choices for Weight Management Products -- May 2008
Fat-free or just reduced-fat? Low-glycemic index or enhanced satiety? When it comes to developing products for the weight management market, the myriad of formulation objectives abounds. Both consumer interests and ingredient challenges impact a new product’s final formulation.
Ten years ago, New York-based Vitalicious Foods Inc. was at the forefront of innovation, as it introduced a line of reduced-fat baked goods that were also vitamin-fortified and indulgent. Over the years, its line extensions appealing to the weight-conscious included sugar-free and reduced-calorie versions, as well as fiber-added and whole-grain items. Although the claim of “100-calories” now appears on many of its products as they ride the portion-control trend, Mintel International’s GNPD reports that Vitalicious’ launches as far back as 2001 were formulated for a maximum of 100 calories per serving.
Indulgent, fortified and calorie-controlled are not always easy to achieve. Aryeh Hecht, company president, offers insights into why these finished product attributes are important.
“Low-calorie doesn’t mean ‘good’ calories,” he says. He’s pleased that some of his products were one of the very few 100-calorie foods to receive two stars from Hannaford Brothers, a retail chain with a system that judges products both on what they do and do not contain. “It’s hard for a person to diet, because they have to change their lifestyle. That is, they have to change what they do, how they live,” Hecht says. It is easier for people to keep their lifestyles, but to choose foods with nutritional characteristics that meet their dietary needs.