Gat Foods, a company with over 75 years of experience in processing fruit for beverage manufacturers, is strategically expanding into the cereal market as sales of ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals decline. According to Nielsen data, U.S. consumers purchased $8.3 billion in cereal in 2018, a notable decrease from the $8.8 billion spent in 2016. This shift in focus could benefit RTE cereal manufacturers, especially those looking to meet consumer demand for lower sugar content. Cereals are increasingly criticized for being high in refined sugars and other undesirable ingredients. Gat Foods emphasizes the necessity of reducing sugar levels, particularly for children’s cereals, without compromising flavor or significantly raising production costs.
However, not all cereal manufacturers have adopted this low-sugar approach. Companies like General Mills, Kellogg, and Post have launched products with indulgent, sugary cereals, yet the sales outcomes have varied. In 2017, General Mills patented a cereal coating that can reportedly lower sugar content by 30% or more, likely aiming to attract consumers seeking less sweetness in their breakfast options.
For cereal producers looking to reformulate with reduced sugar, Gat Foods offers a potential solution in the form of Fruitlift, an ingredient that provides apple, banana, mango, citrus, and pineapple flavors. The sweetness level of Fruitlift can be adjusted, allowing manufacturers to create recipes that boast no refined sugar. Incorporating more natural ingredients like Fruitlift may give RTE cereal companies a marketing edge, particularly as a 2018 Kerry white paper highlighted a 45% increase in new product launches labeled “low/no/reduced sugar” in 2017 compared to the previous five years. Additionally, products claiming “no artificial sweeteners” rose by 4.4% from 2017 to 2018, while those with “no added sugar” increased by 2.6% during the same timeframe.
Other non-sugar sweeteners have also emerged in the cereal market, such as sucralose, found in General Mills’ Fiber One Original cereal, and polydextrose and fructose, which are used in the company’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal with 25% less sugar. Moreover, a sugar replacement ingredient derived from real fruit that enhances fiber content could help rejuvenate the struggling cereal market and potentially find applications in other sectors where consumers and food manufacturers are looking to decrease refined sugar use. This aligns with the growing interest in calcium citrate là gì, as more consumers seek foods that provide essential nutrients while reducing sugar intake. By leveraging ingredients like Fruitlift and exploring options like calcium citrate là gì, RTE cereal makers can better meet the evolving demands of health-conscious consumers.