Long a breakfast staple, the packaged cereal market has suffered from the time-crunch consumers feel in the morning. However, by going organic, cereal is attracting a new generation of consumers that values the importance of starting the day with a nutritious meal. Further, for many of these consumers, cereal has evolved into an anytime-of-day snack. They appreciate the option to munch on some organic oat “Os” instead of a bag of chips.
Keep it simple
But what makes those organic oat “Os” a better snack option than chips? For starters, packaged organic-food manufacturers have an unofficial rule to keep formulations as simple and basic as possible, which in turn suggests to consumers more-authentic and natural nutrition.
“Instead of fortifying cereal with synthetic vitamins and minerals, organic cereal developers seek out ingredients inherently rich in nutrients,” says Sheila Linderman, an organic-foods certifying and formulating consultant based in West Hills, CA.
And, of course, there’s the environmental impact.
“The environmental benefits of organic agriculture are multiple and include a reduced carbon footprint as compared to nonorganic agriculture processes,” says Prescott Bergh, Ciranda, Hudson, WI. “In addition, some studies have indicated that organic foods may have higher amounts of nutrients than conventionally grown food.”
Grace Marroquin, president and CEO, Marroquin International Organic Commodities, Santa Cruz, CA, notes that each time a new organic ingredient is made available, “land has to be converted to organic agriculture in order to produce the raw materials. That, for many of us, is the ultimate goal.”
Environmental impact is easier to comprehend when dealing with commodity foods such as milk, meat and produce. This is why marketers prefer to keep packaged-food formulations simple, using basic ingredients. Short and clean ingredient statements are perceived as being directly from Mother Nature.
“When a consumer reads basics such as wheat, oats and sugar on a cereal’s ingredient statement, they make the connection back to the environment,” says Marroquin.
Linderman adds: “There’s a joke among us in the organic industry that the technology is available to make an organic Twinkie, but does the world need one? No!
“Organic suggests an improved nutrition profile, as compared to non-organic,” Linderman continues. “This perception is an important image for the category, and one breakfast cereal manufacturers are best to maintain.”