From The Summer 2005 Issue of Natural Grocery Buyer

Cookies, crackers pack whole-grain punch

Christine Spehar

Snacking is one of America’s favorite pastimes, and with high-calorie items like cookies and crackers ranking among the most popular snack foods in the country, according to the NPD Group’s 2004 Snacking in America Report, it’s no wonder the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 64 percent of Americans are overweight. But there is some good news—the same NPD report indicates that though shoppers are not giving up their habit of eating between meals, they are starting to choose healthier versions of snack foods when they do decide to nosh.

With natural and organic cookie sales up 51 percent, according to market researcher SPINS, it turns out the natural aisle of your grocery store is a likely place for shoppers to head when looking for healthier versions of their traditional cookie and cracker preferences. Read on to discover the latest health-conscious trends in natural and organic cookies and crackers, and prepare for your store’s natural section to become the snack lover’s aisle of choice.

Worshiping whole grains
Although the height of the low-carb craze has passed, the importance of eating “good carbs,” especially whole grains, seems to have stuck with shoppers for good. “Perhaps the most important lesson to take away from the declining low-carb trend is that it gave us an opportunity to talk about the quality of carbohydrates and food rather than focusing merely on the quantity. The emerging trend is a shift to emphasizing the importance of eating more whole grains, but it doesn’t have to stop there. This is an opportunity to focus on real, whole-food nutrition beyond just carbohydrates,” says Jeff Johnson, director of nutrition for Kashi Co., a natural cereal and cracker company based in La Jolla, Calif.

New studies proving the benefits of eating whole grains, including lowering the risk of heart disease by almost 20 percent (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dec. 2004) and reducing weight gain (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Nov. 2004), have also spurred consumers to look for this valuable ingredient in their snacks, especially crackers. In addition, the Whole Grain Council’s recently introduced Whole Grain Stamp makes it easy for shoppers to spot products that contain healthful amounts of whole grain.

“Crackers are a great way to deliver whole grains because they maintain good texture and flavor with high levels of whole grains,” says David Neuman, vice president of sales and marketing at Nature’s Path. “Consumers are looking for tasty options for increasing their whole-grain intake, and crackers are a very good way for them to do this.”

Trashing trans fats
Partially hydrogenated oil, a common ingredient in most conventional cookies and crackers, is losing favor among consumers. “Media exposure about the harms of consuming trans fats is turning Americans off of them,” says Nicole Dawes, president of Late July, an organic cracker company based out of Hyannis, Mass. “Trans fats are linked to an increase in heart disease and obesity, and in September 2002, the National Academy of the Institute of Medicine stated that there is ‘no safe level of trans fats.’”

Dawes believes natural companies have a significant advantage over conventional companies when it comes to this anti-trans fat trend. “The conventional segment has traditionally relied heavily on hydrogenated oil in the making of their products, while many natural companies have excluded it from the beginning. It’s extremely difficult to get conventional products that have always used hydrogenated oils to taste the same without them. Organic is going to be highlighted in this trend because organic products have always been trans fat-free—consumers will know that the natural aisle will be able to supply them with a product that tastes good without trans fats,” she says. Late July has seen a 1,000 percent sales increase on its crackers since its launch in 2003.

Kid-tested, mother-accepted
A major concern for parents is making sure their children eat healthfully. A major concern for children, on the other hand, is getting their parents to give them snacks that are tasty and also acceptable in the eyes of their peers. According to Dawes, consumers will be looking toward your natural aisle to satisfy both parties’ priorities. “Parents constantly need to give their kids snacks on the run but are becoming much less willing to sacrifice quality for convenience,” Dawes says. “Kids want products that taste great and are similar to the conventional snacks their friends are eating. They don’t want to stick out.” Late July has created organic and corn syrup-free versions of many conventional favorites, like peanut butter sandwich crackers and crackers reminiscent of the classic Saltines.

Kevin Scott, senior vice president of external development and strategy and general manager of natural and organic foods at Back to Nature, agrees. “A consistent theme among consumers is the quest for products that are healthier, but still taste as good and are as familiar as the old conventional ones,” he says. “Natural companies can provide that.”

Peter Meehan, chief executive officer of Newman’s Own Organics, says his company’s cookies, including Fig Newmans and Newman-O’s, are an attempt at organic versions of traditional favorites, and the company is enjoying booming sales. “Every category is enjoying double-digit growth,” he says.

“In today’s world, consumers are looking for simple solutions to their health needs, and one solution is to go back to a diet that contains simpler, purer ingredients,” says Scott. As far as cookies and crackers are concerned, your shoppers are going to find what they’re looking for—whole grains, healthy fats and kid-friendly options—in your store’s natural aisle.

Christine Spehar is a Boulder, Colo.-based freelance writer.