Better For You Packaged Food in Australia

PROSPECTS

Overall stagnating demand for better for you as consumers increasingly move towards natural food options

Better for you packaged food continued to experience overall stagnating demand in 2019 in Australia, with mixed performances across the category. With health and wellness trends prevailing in the country, consumers are continuing to look for ways to reduce their sugar, salt and fat intake, although this factor is not being translated into strong sales growth for many better for you products.

Positive performances for niche areas within BFY reduced fat packaged food

Overall, demand for BFY reduced fat packaged food remained stagnant in 2019, driven by declining sales of the largest category reduced fat dairy, as an increasing number of local consumers embraced higher quantities of natural fat sources into their diets as part of the rising trend for high protein and low carbohydrates. However, this decline was tempered by ongoing demand for reduced fat ice cream, which like reduced sugar ice cream, offers consumers a small indulgence, and the more impressive performance of reduced fat ready meals, which continued to record the highest retail volume growth rate within better for you packaged food, and will continue to experience improved sales over the forecast period.

Calls to reduce salt in Australian diets does not translate into stronger sales for BFY reduced salt food

Great attention has been paid towards the need to reduce salt in the Australian diet, with the Heart Health Foundation and VicHealth, releasing the country’s first salt reformulation guide for manufacturers in 2019. The guidelines will support the reduction of salt in processed and packaged food, directing manufacturers through the reformulation process regarding nutritional composition, testing and establishing salt targets.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

High fragmentation with strong presence of private label and increasing entry of smaller players

Better for you packaged remained a highly fragmented competitive landscape in 2019, with a strong showing for private label led by Coles (which used to be produced by Wesfarmers Ltd but is now locally represented by Coles Group) and Woolworths, and increasing value share for smaller brands under “others”. However, the overall category was led by Vesco Foods, which took over local distribution for Nestlé’s reduced fat ready meals brand Lean Cuisine from Simplot Australia Pty Ltd.

Positive performances in niche areas

Newer entries in positively-performing niche categories continued to gain value share in 2019. Nuttvia entered reduced sugar spreads excl honey in 2018, rapidly gaining ground and recording strong double-digit current value growth in its first full year.

Local player looks to natural trend for reduced salt soup

Despite the declining interest in BFY reduced salt food, local player Vegeta launched a new reduced salt soup called Vavoom. The key alternative ingredient in this product is supisol, a natural salt substitute with 35% less sodium than regular table salt.

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