Stay fuller longer.
That’s the message the Kashi Co., La Jolla Calif., a division of the Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, Mich., has been delivering on the front of select boxes of its Go Lean brand cereals since January.
As part of its marketing efforts, Kashi added the statement “Stay fuller longer” to the front of its cereal boxes, with a double asterisk indicating “Research shows that a high fiber breakfast may lead to staying satisfied longer.” The Kashi Go Lean Honey Almond Flax cereal contains 9 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber, which Kashi said is twice as much as the average cereal.
According to the Mintel Global New Products Database, Kashi Go Lean Honey Almond Flax cereal and Kashi Go Lean Protein & High Fiber cereal represent two of the four new products introduced so far this year boasting a “high satiety” claim. In the previous five years, no R.-T.-E. cereals were introduced featuring the claim, according to Mintel.
In general, the number of new food and beverage products launched in the United States featuring a “high satiety” claim has slipped in recent years. Through May, only four products featuring the claim were introduced, down from 8 products that were introduced in 2009, and well off the recent high of 36 products in 2008, according to Mintel.
Despite the downturn in the number of satiety-specific health claims, Krista Faron, director of innovation and insights for Mintel’s U.S. Research Consultancy group, said satiety and weight management continue to be relevant trends, particularly in beverages.
“Satiety is certainly gaining traction, but most consumers have never heard the term,” Ms. Faron said. “To speak to consumers’ in their voice, companies typically position satiety products on a ‘feel fuller for longer’ platform.
“When it comes to weight management, ingredient development plays a critical role. The rising popularity of stevia-based sweeteners means that companies can formulate more natural, low-calorie drinks that appeal to weight-conscious consumers. And branded ingredients, including Fabuless and Teavigo also have a prominent position in this space.”
Ms. Faron said most satiety efforts are geared toward meal replacement and tea segments, highlighting the products’ fiber, protein or naturally metabolizing effects. But there are exceptions.
“In the U.S., we find major companies like Kellogg introducing satiety drinks like K20 in the water category,” she said. “Providing weight management in a variety of categories, particularly ones that emphasize convenience, is critical for companies competing in the weight management space.”
Convenience is at the heart of the strategy for Smart for Life, Boca Raton, Fla. The company is known for its “filling” diet cookies that are 60% organic and include a proprietary “super fiber” blend known as HeroFiber. In May, the company’s sister company, Better Health Beverage, took HeroFiber to the beverage aisle with the launch of underWAY, an appetite-suppressing line of beverages.
“HeroFiber helps to fill the stomach and reduce hunger pains, allowing dieters to consume less,” Better Health Beverage said. “In addition to all the healthy appetite-suppressing fiber in every 16-oz naturally-flavored underWAY bottle, the two all-natural flavors — acai-pomegranate and orange — have consumers raving about the taste.”
Another company making waves recently in the beverage market is Stockton, Calif.-based California Natural Products, which this spring introduced CalNaturale Svelte.
Available in four flavors — chocolate, french vanilla, cappuccino and spiced chai — CalNaturale Svelte is geared to active women ages 21 to 59. The beverages have 16 grams of protein and 8 grams of dietary fiber per 15.9-oz serving, which aid in satiety.
The company said the natural, sustained energy protein drink address three key issues for consumers that position it under the satiety and weight management banner.
“First, it is all natural,” said Clark Driftmier, vice-president of marketing and sales for CalNaturale Svelte. “Consumers are looking for natural and organic alternatives to other beverages that are made with artificial and/or chemically-extracted ingredients to help optimize their overall health and energy, including keeping the ideal weight. Second, CalNaturale Svelte is made with complex carbohydrates, rather than simple sugars, which have the benefit of metabolizing over a much longer, four to six hour period, versus one to two hours for simple sugars.
“Lastly, with Svelte’s high protein, this is a product that provides a great satiety and the ability to ‘fill me up’ and ‘keep me going’ to prevent hunger cravings.”