Market Trends: Low-Carb Diets -- Will the Carbs Strike Back?

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 The Carb Climate

• The Diet Environment
  • Cashing In On Low Carb
  • What Is a Low-Carb Product?
  • Naturally Low-Carb Products vs. Low-Carb Positioning/Formulation
• The Regulatory Environment
  • FDA To Issues Low-Carb Guidelines by Late 2004
  • Requests for FDA Action Were Building
  • Seeking Scrutiny on Low-Carb Claims
• A Nutrition Backlash?
  • Some Research Suggests Ill Effects from Sustained Diets
  • Low-Carb May Still Mean High Calorie
• A Consumer Backlash?
  • Carbs Coming Out of the Pantry
  • New Research Suggests Difficulty in Maintaining the Diet
• Product Proliferation
  • Triple the Product Introductions
  • Figure: New Product Introductions, 2003-2004*, Low-Carb, Low-Fat and Low-Sugar
  • New Offerings Continue to Emerge
  • Showing Up Late Hurts Some Marketers
  • But Investing Too Much May Come Back to Haunt

Chapter 2 Low Carb: A Look At Certain Food Segments

• Where The Market Stands
• Certain Products Excelling
• Meat, Dairy and Eggs: Ahead After Round One
• Table: U.S. Retail Sales of Meat Products, 2002-2003 (by category)
• Table: U.S. Retail Sales of Cheese, 2002-2003
• Table: U.S. Mass-Market Sales of Eggs, 2002-2003
• Bread
  • Low-Carb Flattens White Bread
  • Low Carb Strikes In-Store Bakeries, as Results Remain Flat
  • Bread Marketers Go For the Grain
  • Reclaiming the �gMoral High Ground�h
  • Co-Opting The �gEnemy�h
  • Figure: New Low-Carb Bread Product Introductions, 2003 vs. 2004*
  • Artisans Eschew Low-Carb
• Candy
  • Low-Carb Segment Fastest Growing
• Pasta and Potatoes
  • Fighting Carbs with Carbonara
  • Eden Takes Low-Carb in Stride
  • Saving the Spud
  • The Low-Carb Potato
• Snacks
  • Growth in Low Carb/Healthy Segments
  • Table: U.S. Retail Sales of Select Low-Carb Snack Foods: 1999-2003
  • Table: Annual Growth in IRI-Tracked Sales of Select Low Carb Snacks: 1999-2003
  • Sweet Snacks Lose the Carbs
  • A Slim Fast Snack Option
• Fruit Products
  • An Uphill Battle
  • But The Battle Has Been Joined
  • Juice Takes a Hit
  • The Orange Strikes Back
  • But Positions Are Improving
  • Targeting Meal Replacement
  • Advertising to Sway The Carb Watchers
  • Low-Cal, Low-Carb, Low-Sugar Juices Answer Diet Challenge
  • If You Can�ft Beat �eEm . . .
• Ice Cream
  • Low-Carb Enters the Scene
  • A Possible Convergence of No-Sugar-Added with Low-Net -Carbs
  • Low-Carb is Hot, Hot, Hot
  • Will No-Sugar-Added Go Away?
  • Lowering Carbs May Bring Former Users Back to the Category
  • Low Carb Players are Plentiful
  • Why Low-Carb Ice Cream?
  • Who Is the Low-Carb Consumer?
  • Table: Total U.S. Mainstream Retail Sales of Low-Carbohydrate Frozen Desserts: Top-Three
  • Marketers and Brands by Sales, First-Half 2004
  • Table: U.S. Mainstream Retail Low-Carbohydrate Frozen Desserts: Selected Marketers by Brand

Chapter 3 The Consumer

• How Many Are There?
• Why Are People Doing It?
• Table: Top-10 Nutrition Facts Panel Items of Importance For Carb-Watches
• Peaking or Plateauing?
• Table: Nutritional Characteristics Influencing Food Purchases
• Not So Fast . . .
• The Diet Has Ended, But the Carb Counting Lingers On
• Table: Dieters Are Watching Their . . .
• Table: Satisfaction Levels with Grocery Selections of Healthy Food
• Table: Who�fs On A Low-Carb Diet
• Simmons Findings
  • Use of Low-Carb Nutritional Liquid/Powder
  • Table: Demographic Characteristics Favoring Use of Low-Carb Nutritional Liquid/Powder
  • Figure: Consumer Use of Low-Carb Nutritional Liquid/Powder, by Age
  • Figure: Consumer Use of Low-Carb Nutritional Liquid/Powder, by Gender
  • Figure: Consumer Use of Low-Carb Nutritional Liquid/Powder, by Income
  • Figure: Consumer Use of Low-Carb Nutritional Liquid/Powder, by Education
  • Figure: Consumer Use of Low-Carb Liquid/Powder, by Brand
  • Use of Low-Carb Energy/Diet Snacks & Bars
  • Table: Demographic Characteristics Favoring Use of Low-carb Energy/Diet
  • Snacks & Bars
  • Figure: Consumer Use of Low-Carb Energy/Diet Snacks & Bars, by Age
  • Figure: Consumer Use of Low-carb Energy/Diet Snacks & Bars, by Gender
  • Figure: Consumer Use of Low-Carb Energy/Diet Snacks & Bars, By Education Level
  • Figure: Consumer Use of Low-carb Energy/Diet Snacks & Bars, by Income
  • Figure: Consumer Use of Low-carb Energy/Diet Snacks & Bars, by Brand

Chapter 4 The Future of Low-Carb

• Impact on the Retail and Foodservice Sectors
• Low-Carb Redefines Food Retailing Landscape
• Foodservice Trends: Low-carb Hits the Menu
• Fast-Casual/Hotel Dining
• Quick-Service Restaurants
• Table: Low-Carb Restaurant Fare
• Some Key Issues
• Online Stores?Spreading the Low-Carb Trend
• Low-carb in the Short Term: Product Offerings from Unlikely Places
• But a Product Glut in the Future?
• Will It Last?
• Food Co. CEOs Cast Their Doubts
• Nutritionists Debate the Pros and Cons
• But Others See a Sea Change