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Focus on the Market Trend: Low, Reduced and No Sodium or Salt Foods and Beverages in the U.S.

Posted on: Friday, 8 February 2008, 09:00 CST

Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report related to the Health food industry is available in its catalogue.

Market Trend: Low, Reduced and No Sodium or Salt Foods and Beverages in the U.S.

To order this report:

www.reportlinker.com/p076216/2008/02/08/Market-Trend-Low-Reduced-and-No-Sodium-or-Salt-Foods-and-Beverages-in-the-US.html

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Sodium and salt levels in foods and beverages are on the mind of every person involved in the U.S. food and beverage industry. Why? Various health and consumer groups are making a lot of noise on Capitol Hill. They are blaming the high level of "added" sodium in packaged retail products and foodservice menu items for record high-blood pressures of Americans. They argue that high-blood pressure is a precursor to heart disease, and ultimately death.

Other countries, most notably the United Kingdom, have implemented serious regulations regarding sodium and salt contents of foods and beverages in efforts to pursue improvement in health and wellness. All fingers point to the United States.

The FDA is already getting involved, which raises concerns for food and beverage manufacturers. Efforts are underway to reformulate current key product lines--reducing and replacing sodium with other flavor-enhancing and functional ingredients. New products are starting out with lower levels of sodium.

The information in this report was obtained from both primary and secondary research. Primary research entailed in-depth, on-site examinations of supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchandisers, convenience stores (c-stores), health/natural foods stores, specialty stores, and club stores. Company, distributor, and retailer interviews were conducted to obtain information on new product and packaging trends, marketing programs, distribution methods, and technological breakthroughs. Secondary research entailed data gathering from relevant sources. Included were consumer and industry publications, newspapers, government reports, financial reports, company literature, and corporate annual reports.

Market Trend: Low, Reduced and No Sodium or Salt Foods and Beverages in the U.S. examines the U.S. retail market for foods and beverages flagging sodium content. It covers any product that has a label where either a sodium content claim (e.g., "low in sodium,""reduced sodium," etc.) is made, or actual sodium content is flagged on a secondary spot on the label (e.g., 550 milligrams of sodium per serving), in addition to the required listing on the Nutrition Facts. It also includes products with statements such as "no-salt-added,""salt-free" and "lightly salted."

Packaged Facts determined there are seven product categories that will experience the greatest increase in sodium and salt content claims. These are:

Beverages

Condiments

Dairy

Grains/snacks

Meat/fish/entrées

Soups

Canned vegetables

Packaged Facts projects that sales for all sodium content foods and beverages will continue to grow, but their percent share of the business will change as more players enter the marketplace. The forerunners--canned vegetables and soups--will continue to have healthy growth but they will lose share to the other categories, most notably grains/snacks and meat/fish/entrées.

Chapter 1 Executive Summary

Definition of the Market

Scope of the Report

Products Outside of Scope

The Ingredient and the Issues

Sodium's Role

Americans Consume Too Much Sodium

The Salt Shaker Is Not the Culprit

The Government May Regulate the Salt Content in Food

There's Two Sides to Every Story

The Market

Tracking Low Sodium Is Challenging

Product Categories Driving Growth

The Marketers

Many Are Looking at Sodium Content Formulations

The Marketplace

Supermarkets Lead in Share of Sodium Content Product Sales

Figure 1-1 U.S. Retail Sales of Sodium Content Foods and Beverages, by Outlet, 2008

Health and Wellness Revolution

"Less Sodium" Gets Classified with the Functional Food Trend

Demographics of Those Watching Sodium Intake

Product Development

Nothing Truly Replaces Sodium

Options in the Market

Chapter 2 The Ingredient

Key Points

Scope of the Report

Definition of the Market

Products Outside of Scope

All About Sodium

What Is Sodium?

Sodium's Role in Life

Sodium's Presence in Foods and Beverages

Sodium's Role in Foods and Beverages

Concerns With Too Much Sodium in the Diet

What Are the Recommendations for Sodium Intake?

Table 2-1 Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium

Most Sodium Comes from Processed Foods and Restaurants

The Government's Role

FDA Holds Hearing on Regulating Salt Content in Food

AMA Requested a Call to Action, Too

Comments Made at the FDA Hearing

AMA Urges FDA Action to Reduce Excess Salt in Food

Action Overseas Suggests There Is Hope for U.S. Foods and Beverages

Status of Change in the United States

The Controversy

The Other Side of the Sodium Debate

The Salt Institute Speaks Out

Labeling Overview

Labeling Nomenclature

Provide the Facts: Nutritional Information Musts

Sodium Content Claims

Table 2-2 Legal Descriptors for the Sodium Content of Foods and Beverages

Products That Are Exempt

Nutrition Regulations in Foodservice

What Is the Definition of "Healthy" When Used on a Food Label?

Health, Nutrient Content and Structure/Function Claims

Significant Scientific Agreement Health Claims

Qualified Health Claims

Nutrient Content Claims

Structure/Function Claims

Allergen Issues

AHA's Heart-Check Mark

Table 2-3 American Heart Association Heart-Check Mark Usage Criteria

FDA Urged to Create New Healthy Food Labeling System

The Food Industry Gets Challenged

Where to Go From Here

The Healthy People Challenge

Chapter 3 The Market

Key Points

Market Approach

Many Different Approaches to Addressing Sodium Levels

Figure 3-1 Canned Soup Making a Sodium Content Claim on the Front Label

Figure 3-2 Canned Soups Flagging Sodium content on the Front Label

Analysis of Sodium Content Soup

Table 3-1 U.S. Sales Data for Select Brands of Sodium Content Soup, 2003-2007 (in millions of dollars)

Table 3-2 U.S. Sales Data for Sodium Content Soup, Market Leader Campbell Soup vs. Total Category, 2003-2007 (in millions of dollars)

Sodium Content Soup Is About 10% of Campbell's Mix

Figure 3-3 U.S. Sales of Campbell's Soup, Sodium Content vs. All Others, 2007

Healthy Choice Is the Sole Sodium Content Frozen Entrée Choice

Table 3-3 U.S. Sales Data for Healthy Choice-Branded Frozen Entrées, 2003-2007 (in millions of dollars)

Retail Sales Trends

Impossible to Provide a Dollar Value to Sodium Content Category

Sodium Content Claims Double from 2002 to 2007

A Note on Product Tags

Table 3-4 U.S. Product Introductions with Low-Salt and Low-Sodium Content Claims, 2002-2007

Figure 3-4 U.S. Product Introductions with Total Low-Salt and Low-Sodium Content Claims, 2002-2007

The Dip in 2006 Is About Trans Fats

Language Confusion with Productscan

Figure 3-5 U.S. Product Introductions with Low-Salt Content Claims, 2002-2007

Figure 3-6 U.S. Product Introductions with Low-Sodium Content Claims, 2002-2007

Marketable Products

Seven Product Categories to Focus On for Sodium Content Claims

Canned Foods Lead the Sodium Content Business

Figure 3-7 U.S. Retail Sales of Sodium Content Foods and Beverages, Share of Total Market, 2007

No-Salt-Added Canned Vegetables Are the Original Player

By 2012, Grains/Snacks and Meat/Fish/Entrées Gain Share

Figure 3-8 U.S. Retail Sales of Sodium Content Foods and Beverages, Share of Total Market, 2012

Regional Preferences for Sodium Content Foods and Beverages

Table 3-5 U.S. Adult Consumers Watching Sodium Intake and Purchasing Low-Sodium Foods, by Region, 2007 (index)

Chapter 4: The Marketers

Key Points

The Leading Marketers

Many Are Looking at Sodium Content Formulations

The 10 Leading Marketers

Table 4-1 U.S. Sodium Content Foods and Beverages: 10 Leading Marketers and Brands, 2007

ConAgra and Campbell Lead in Share of Sales

Figure 4-1 U.S. Sodium Content Foods and Beverages: Share of Dollar Sales, by Marketer, 2007

Competitive Profile: Amy's Kitchen, Inc., Petaluma, California

The Company's Namesake

A Leader in Penetrating Mainstream Markets

Product Lines

Canned Items

Frozen Items

Competitive Profile: Campbell Soup Co., Camden, New Jersey

More Than 100 Years Old

Campbell Is the Leader in Sodium Content Movement

Riding the Wellness Trend

Soup Fits Into Wellness by Filling Consumers Up

When the Sodium Reduction Plans Commenced

Efforts include:

Thanks to Sea Salt

V8 100% Vegetable Juice Reformulation

The Line Up Continues to Grow

Supporting the Products

How the Lower-Sodium Soups Score with Consumers

Competitive Profile: ConAgra Foods, Inc., Omaha, Nebraska

An All-American Company

Sodium-Cutting Initiative Announced

Competitive Profile: Del Monte Foods, Co., San Francisco, California

Vegetable Rush

Something for Everyone

Forerunners in No-Salt-Added Veggies

Competitive Profile: General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota

It All Started with Milling

Responsible Advertising

Variety of Sodium Contents Statements on Veggies

Progresso Soup Introduces Reduced Sodium Soups

Competitive Profile: H.J. Heinz Co., Pittsburgh,

Pennsylvania

If It Isn't Heinz, It Isn't Ketchup

Only Mainstream No-Salt-Added Ketchup

Bouillon Goes Lower in Sodium

Competitive Profile: The Hain Celestial Group, Inc., Melville, New York

Health Food Giant Continues to Grow

Health Valley Offers Many Sodium Content Products

Other New Sodium Content Products

Competitive Profile: Hormel Foods Corp., Austin,

Minnesota

Meat and Potatoes

Sodium Content Offerings

Practically an Institution

Competitive Profile: Kraft Foods Inc., Northfield, Illinois

The Biggie in the States

Nabisco First to Lower Sodium

The Sensible Solution Logo

Living in South Beach in 2008

Competitive Profile: Unilever, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

International Company with Local Roots

Nutrition Enhancement Program: It's a Choice in the States

In the States, the company calls it program: Choices.

Chapter 5 The Marketplace

Key Points

Distribution and Delivery

Retail Distribution Methods

Direct Delivery Advantages

The Cost of Face-To-Face Business

Advantages of Warehouse Delivery

Smaller Marketers Work Through Brokers

Introducing New Special Dietary Needs Products to the Market

The Retail Environment

Store Formats Are Changing

Shopping Options Are Plentiful

Where Are Consumers Shopping for Groceries?

Traditional Supermarkets Decline as a Primary Destination

Traditional Supermarkets Are the Leader in Share of Sodium Content Food and Beverage Sales

The Leading Retailers

Getting Your Product in with the Leaders

Table 5-1 Top Five U.S. Supermarket Chains, by Dollar Sales and Number of Stores, 2006 or fiscal 2007, depending on chain

Table 5-2 Top Five U.S. Discount-Style Chains That Sell Food & Beverage Products, by Dollar Sales and Number of Stores, 2006 or fiscal 2007, depending on chain

Changes in the Competitive Landscape

The Wal-Mart Factor

The Whole Foods Approach

Table 5-3 Low-Sodium Foods Sold in Whole Foods Market, by category, brand and description, 2008

Trader Joe's Goes Low-Sodium, Too

Table 5-4 Low-Sodium Foods Sold in Trader Joe's, by category, brand* and description, 2008

(*unless noted, product is the store label of Trader Joe's)

Comparative Pricing

There's a Plethora of Products Out There

Table 5-5 U.S. Sodium Content Retail Sales Prices of Beverages at Select Stores, 2008

Table 5-6 U.S. Sodium Content Retail Sales Prices of Condiments at Select Stores, 2008

Table 5-7 U.S. Sodium Content Retail Sales Prices of Dairy Products at Select Stores, 2008

Table 5-8 U.S. Sodium Content Retail Sales Prices of Grain-Based and Snack Foods at Select Stores, 2008

Table 5-9 U.S. Sodium Content Retail Sales Prices of Meat, Fish and Entrée Products at Select Stores, 2008

Table 5-10 U.S. Sodium Content Retail Sales Prices of Soups at Select Stores, 2008

Table 5-10[Cont.] U.S. Sodium Content Retail Sales Prices of Soups at Select Stores, 2008

Table 5-11 U.S. Sodium Content Retail Sales Prices of Canned Vegetables at Select Stores, 2008

Private Label Offers Price Breaks

Table 5-12 Private Label vs. Branded Retail Price of 8-Ounce No-Salt-Added Tomato Sauce, 2008

Trader Joe's Is Almost All Private Label

Table 5-13 Private Label vs. Branded Retail Price of 32.0-Ounce Chicken Broth, Trader Joe's vs. National Brands, 2008

The Club Store Price Advantage

Multi-Packs and Family-Size Products

Table 5-14 Club Store vs. Supermarket Prices for Select Sodium Content Products, 2008

Chapter 6 The Consumer

Key Points

Today's Consumer

Health and Wellness Revolution

Choosing Sodium-Containing Foods Wisely

"Less Sodium" Gets Classified with the Functional Food Trend

General Attitudes Toward Health

Consumer Health Concerns

What Consumers Say and What Consumers Want

So Who Wants to Lower Their Sodium Intake?

Retailers Ask for Low-Sodium Foods; Consumers Buy Them

Simmons Consumer Survey

Demographics of Those Watching Sodium Intake

Table 6-1 Demographics of Those Who Watch Their Salt Intake or Buy Low-Sodium Foods, 2007

Table 6-2 Indicator and Resistor Indices of Those Who Watch Their Salt Intake or Buy Low-Sodium Foods, 2007

When It's Available They Will Use It

Table 6-3 Percentage of U.S. Consumers on a Diet and Watching Their Salt Intake That Use Select Foods, by Product Type, 2007

Chapter 7 Product Development

Key Points

Understanding Salt

Kicking Off the New Year

To Enhance, One Must First Understand the Flavor of Salt

Salt's Uniqueness

No Worries, Reducing Salt Does Not Impact Food Safety

The Food Science Approach

Are There Four or Five Tastes?

The Deal with Umami

Efforts by Suppliers and Research Organizations

Blue Pacific Flavors

Cargill Salt

ConAgra Food Ingredients

Dairy Management Inc.

DSM Food Specialties USA Inc.

Givaudan Flavors

Grande Custom Ingredients Group

Griffith Laboratories Co.

ICL Performance Products LP

Jungbunzlauer, Inc.

Mastertaste

Morton Salt

The Mushroom Council

Prime Favorites

Purac America Inc.

Savoury Systems International, Inc.

Senomyx Inc.

Spectrum Foods, Inc.

Synergy Flavors, Inc.

Wild Flavors, Inc.

Wixon, Inc.

Overview Of Product Development Efforts

Campbell Soup's Can of Tricks

What's Popping at ConAgra

What's Shaking at McCain Foods

Nestlé Sheds Salt in Shreddies

Kellogg's Approach in Snack Foods

New Product Introductions

Introduction Highlights in 2006 and 2007

Beverages

Figure 7-1 R.W. Knudsen Organic Low Sodium Very Veggie Juice

Meat/Entrées

Figure 7-2 Amy's Light in Sodium Organic Chili

Figure 7-3 Amy's Light Enchilada

Figure 7-4 Hormel No Salt Added Breast of Chicken

Figure 7-5 Spam 25% Less Sodium

Side Dishes

Figure 7-6 Zatarain's Reduced Sodium Rice Mix

Figure 7-7 Rice-A-Roni Lower Sodium Rice Mix

Snack Foods

Soups/Sauces/Seasonings

Figure 7-8 Progresso Health Favorites 45% Less Sodium Soup

Figure 7-9 McCormick Grill Mates Seasonings

Figure 7-10 Morton Salt Balance

Additional New Products

Table 7-1 U.S. Lower Sodium Food and Beverage Introductions, 2006-2007

Appendix I: Select Marketers

Appendix II: Select Suppliers of Sodium Reduction Ingredients

Market Trend: Low, Reduced and No Sodium or Salt Foods and Beverages in the U.S.

To order this report:

www.reportlinker.com/p076216/2008/02/08/Market-Trend-Low-Reduced-and-No-Sodium-or-Salt-Foods-and-Beverages-in-the-US.html

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