Low-carb diets put the squeeze on bakeries
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24 Nov 2011
Party-political affiliations have a major role in determining who goes along with the low-carb dieting trend. A just-published survey shows that Left Alliance supporters are the most avid low-carbers, with Centre voters being least swayed by the latest fad. Only one per cent of Centre voters follow a low-carbohydrate diet.
Of the population as a whole, 60 per cent show no interest in the trend. According to the survey, which was commissioned by state broadcaster Yle and carried out by market research company Taloustutkimus, only eight per cent of respondents know what low-carb dieting is.
The popularity of the trend appears to have no special relation to income level or gender. Geography does seem to make a difference, however, with the greatest concentration of low-carb dieters being found in the Oulu region.
Some 1,004 Finnish residents above the age of 15 were interviewed for the survey. According to Taloustutkimus, around six per cent of people in Finland are dedicated low-carb dieters. The bakery sector’s own survey, by contrast, judged the hardcore contingent to make up only five per cent of the populace.
The popularity of locally-produced and ecologcally-friendly products provide bakeries with some respite in the midst of the ongoing low-carb dieting trend.
LOW-CARBOHYDRATE, or “low-carb” diets are having a marked effect on bread consumption in Finland. According to a recent survey, 40 per cent of consumers have cut down the amount of bread they eat. Around five per cent of the population identify themselves as dedicated low-carb dieters, avoiding bread entirely. Dipping sales and profits have made bakeries concretely aware of the trend.
Small bakeries are still doing well, though, getting by with locally-produced and ecologically-friendly products. A study of bakeries carried out last March showed that small operations with 5 to 20 staff are doing best of all.
“The silly thing about this low-carb business is that sales of sweet pastries have actually gone up this year. Maybe that’s a sign of pretentiousness about food,” suggests the author of the March 2011 study, Leena Hyrylä of the Southeast Finland branch of the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY).
Bread remains a staple of nutritional recommendations, with around 300 grammes of bread being the optimal daily intake. Baked products containing rye and oats are particularly recommended. Traditional breads have now been joined on supermarket shelves by more exotic products, including various low-carbohydrate breads. Bakeries are also making efforts to cater to emerging health-related trends, and also to cater for those with particular allergies.
Soaring expenses
Various enhanced snackfoods and bakery products could do further damage to the status of bread as an integral part of the average diet. Indeed, Hyrylä predicts harshly competitive times ahead for bakeries.
The sector, which has a high proportion of family businesses, is also hard pressed by steadily mounting labour, transportation and energy expenses. Survival in the industry requires cooperation between businesses on such tasks as marketing and the acquisition of raw ingredients.
The bakery industry is the largest branch of the food sector in Finland when judged in terms of the amount of businesses and employees involved. According to Statistics Finland, a total of around 8,300 staff are employed in Finland’s 700-odd bakeries.
The largest operators are Fazer and Vaasan Oy, both of which have recently closed some of their regional bakeries and set up locally-sourced bakeries. These efforts of the big players to diversify their operations may well provide smaller bakeries with new opportunities as subcontractors, the ELY report notes.
LEENA JUSSILA – STT
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