Ancient grains can be incorporated into pan and artisan bread varieties.
The healthy alternative
According to GlobalData’s 2015 global consumer survey, 51% of U.S. consumers think ancient grains have a positive impact on their health.
Products can capitalize on this healthy halo and the nutritional diversity ancient grains bring to the table, but it’s a challenge to sort out the different health characteristics of each grain. Some are relatively high in protein; others are not. Some contain gluten; others don’t. Food producers cannot assume that consumers have all the facts and need to communicate those key details.
“Gone are the days when the consumer decision was simply between white or whole wheat bread,” Dr. Cheatham said. “It’s now a more sophisticated carbohydrate conversation with consumers growing more aware that carbohydrate quality counts as much quantity.”
Health-aware consumers and the popularity of gluten-free diets inspired Caroline Freedman to create NurturMe, Austin, Texas, which produces children’s snacks using ancient grains and probiotics. The company’s cookies include three varieties — cocoa, honey, and maple and cinnamon — made with quinoa, amaranth, millet and sorghum. Founder Ms. Freedman, c.e.o., said the company wasn’t expecting such a rapid response from consumers back when it was started in 2010.
“We found that adults are familiar with quinoa as naturally gluten-free, non-allergenic and we thought there might be a learning curve when we introduced our products,” Ms. Freedman said. “But there was a halo effect from parents who were already familiar with quinoa’s health benefits.”
Parents familiar with the benefits of ancient grains now have better-for-you options for their children.
Tom Vierhile, innovations insights director, GlobalData, said ancient grains have emerged as an important tie-breaker when consumers are making purchase decisions.
“Ancient grains are clearly a mainstream trend now and have been for a few years,” Mr. Vierhile said. “Companies like Kellogg Co., Campbell’s, Mondelez International and Del Monte Foods have all placed bets that ancient grains can drive sales growth and recapture consumers who may have defected to natural or organic brands.”
This change did not happen overnight, Mr. Vierhile added, but it has been an ongoing process that began in the natural and organic food industry and gained traction from there. In just two years, the percentage of Americans who said they are familiar with chia has doubled. In 2015, 33% said they were not familiar with chia and that shrunk to 18% by 2017, according to GlobalData consumer surveys.
Bakers are experimenting with lesser-known grains like teff.
“The transition from niche to mainstream has been led by younger consumers, a group that the packaged food industry has become increasingly obsessed with as this group is not adopting the same purchase patterns as their parents,” Mr. Vierhile said.
He added that millennials are more likely to seek out ancient grains than older consumers. According to a 2017 GlobalData consumer survey, 40% of Americans aged 25 to 34 said that they would consider using grains like quinoa and spelt as an alternative to traditional carbohydrates, compared with 33% of consumers overall and 26% of consumers age 65 and above.
Ancient heads into the future
The numbers don’t lie; ancient grains have enjoyed huge success over the past two years. GlobalData’s Product Launch Analytics database of new products showed that launches featuring terms like “ancient grains,” “chia,” or “quinoa” grew to 8.8% in 2017 from 5.9% in 2016.
“The ancient grains story has been out there long enough that even consumers with only casual interest in ingredient trends have now heard of ancient grains like chia and quinoa,” Mr. Vierhile said. “This awareness has begun to translate into increased sales.”
But will it last?
Dr. Cheatham thinks so.
“Looking ahead, expect ancient, whole and grains like quinoa to continue to be in demand by health-seeking consumers,” she said. “Products that showcase and respect the inherent grain nutrition from harvest to end product will gain the most traction.”
Use of lesser-known ancient grains is also a trend to keep an eye on, Mr. Vierhile noted, and may be useful in reinventing tired products.
“Teff is one of the lesser-known ancient grains that was once extremely rare in packaged foods but is becoming less so and is attracting interest as a result,” he said.
Attention also is moving toward a new generation of ancient grains with interesting stories and growth potential like Tsampa. An ancient staple food of the Himalayas, Tsampa is just beginning to appear on the new products front and could signal the emergence of a new wave of ancient grains, Mr. Vierhile said.
Ancient grains impart a healthy halo to foods that could use an extra health boost, and the future looks bright for these time-tested alternatives.
