With the popularity of weight loss drugs on rise, the food industry can expect a “material impact” on consumption with Americans projected to cut their calories by 10% to 20% – but the drugs’ impact goes beyond calorie reduction to include changes in the types of products shoppers want, according to one expert.
“I expect three different things to happen with time” as GLP-1s become more widely available and used, predicts Ed Fish, senior vice president and general manager of varietal solutions at Bay State Milling.
The first is patients taking GLP-1s will eat fewer calories and the second is they will move away from “heavily processed foods” towards healthier, simpler foods with clean labels, he said.
“This is more about a shift in calories as opposed to a reduction in calories, and this for two reasons. One is, some early indications are that it is easier and more enjoyable given some of the changes to your body that happen when you are on these drugs,” he said. “The other piece is, if people are consuming less food, you have an issue of anemia. And I think those who are on the drug or drugs are going to be seeking out foods that have nutrients, like fiber and protein, and even micronutrients that are really important for your overall wellness.”
The third shift Fish predicts will occur because of increased use of GLP-1s is people who are not on the drugs will still become more aware of the impact of diet on their health and seek nutrient-dense products with health benefits.
“There will also be a shift in consumer behavior for those even who aren’t taking the drug,” he said.
‘Fewer ingredients, more nutrients’
To meet consumer needs amid these three shifts, brands will need to renovate and innovate products that are less calorically dense and more nutrient dense – or risk losing sales, advised Fish.
Bay State Milling is helping to bring to market clean, whole food ingredients that have been bred to deliver nutritional benefits that punch above more conventional alternatives.
Two examples include Bay State Milling’s SowNaked Oats and HealthSense Wheat Flour.
SowNaked Oats, which were prominently featured at Natural Products Expo West, have 40% more protein and a lower carbon footprint than conventional oats, said Fish.
The more established HealthSense Wheat Flour tastes like refined white flour but has about 10 times the fiber and qualifies for the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check.
“Both of those macronutrients are really important, not just to the general public, but specifically important to those of GLP-1s,” said Fish.
These ingredients not only add nutrient density to products, but they also can help brands create clean label foods.
“In today’s day and age, there is a pretty strong and growing narrative around clean label and ultra processed, so this is an opportunity for them to pack their food products with nutrition, but do it in a way that has very simple and clean new ingredient declarations. So, fewer ingredients, more nutrients,” said Fish.
Both ingredients also are non-GMO, which many consumers who want clean ingredients seek.
He explained these ingredients are bred the same way that farmers have used for thousands of years, which includes identifying desirable attributes in plans and cross-breeding them to grow in specific geographies.
New opportunities for farmers
While environmental sustainability often takes a back seat to taste, health and price for consumers, research suggests shoppers increasingly want products that are just as good for the health of the planet as their own.
Potential added consumer appeal of both HealthSense and SowNaked is that they are sustainably sourced and creating new opportunities for farmers.
“Our growers who are producing these crops get to participate in the value of a crop that has more nutritional density,” said Fish. “When we think about wheat, typically, farmers are subjected to the vagaries of the commodity markets. Wheat prices go up, they go down. It depends on war and weather events.”
But in the case of the wheat in HealthSense, farmers can earn more money because the crop is more valuable, he explained, adding “it is a nice opportunity to invest in rural America and directly support our network of farmers.
