Kraft Foods makes 2014 all about (simpler) innovation
Products with simpler ingredient lists will anchor Kraft Foods’ 2014 portfolio, as consumers show continued interest in where their food comes from and the process by which it gets to the table. As part of this increased focus on labels, many longstanding Kraft brands are getting reformulated.
The artificial preservative sorbic acid has already been pulled from some individually wrapped Kraft Singles slices, and replaced with natural mold inhibitor natamycin. Kraft’s iconic mac and cheese has also begun phasing out Yellow #5 and #6 from its character-based shapes lines, replacing the artificial colors with turmeric, paprika and annatto.
“Consumers (are) seeking more fresh real foods that are made with simple ingredient lines and we have to think as this is more than just a premium trend,” Kraft CEO Tony Vernon told attendees of the Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference last week. “There is a cultural shift at work here, a shift where for more and more people the foods they eat and how they are made is a reflection of their values. Freshly made and simple ingredients are becoming primary purchase drivers and we must incorporate this into our new product development and brand renovation plans.”
Such renovations not only include removing artificial ingredients and reducing calories, added sugar, sodium and fats; but also adding beneficial ingredients and nutrients to products—like the increasingly popular protein. Kraft’s Philadelphia cream cheese is now offered with twice as much protein, and Oscar Mayer’s P3 line of portable meat and cheese snacks packs a 13 g punch of protein. Other innovations, such as new MiO flavors and Lunchables with smoothie, tap into the growing number of consumers seeking customizable on-the-go food and drink solutions.