Consumers of Bakery Products are Looking for More Premium Products on the Shelf
Mr. Piyush Pattnaik, Managing Director at Cargill Oils, talks about his new relaunch in the bakery industry and how it will benefit the bakery industry and also home bakers. He has always worked for the benefit for consumers and towards making their experience memorable. The relaunch was initiated to bring multispeciality benefits i.e to have one product with multiple usage.
1. Cargill India is relaunching Nature Fresh Professionals Multispecialty fat LITE for vegan baking products. In this pandemic situation, companies are finding it hard to launch new products. How would you like to position your new launch for the baking industry?
India is a market with multiple demands and needs. As a brand, we have always believed in providing nothing but the best to our customers. In line with our commitment towards our consumers, we relaunched the Nature Fresh Multispecialty fat LITE. Lite is a multipurpose premium specialty fat which can be used to bake all types of prevalent applications like cookies, cakes, butter cream & also the exotic ones like Danish Pastry, Brownies, croissants, fudges, etc. Currently, the fats which are being used by bakers are single application centric and meant for one application i.e. a cake, cookie, or a puff. But this fat is capable of baking with multiple applications, which a baker would love to have in their basket. The fat also takes the output of final baked product a notch higher in terms of mouthfeel, taste, texture, and aroma along with a slight buttery taste to it.
2. Have you redefined your product to add more benefits to the already existing ingredient in the market?
The rationale for this new launch comes keeping consumer preferences at the center point. The product can be used for diverse and multipurpose applications. It not only enhances the finesse of the final product due to its premium quality, but also ensures even creaminess with right consistency in the product. The low melting point of the fat makes it suitable for the trending application of the healthy constituents like granola bars, gluten-free cookies, banana breads, etc. Currently, this is one such fat available in the country which delivers a subtle buttery flavor to the finished product. The fat is yellowish in color, which gives a golden-brown finish to the end product.
3. Due to COVID-19, the supply logistics of the Bakery Industry have been largely impacted. This has been a challenging phrase for the Bakery Industry in India as well. How will your product add value to manufacturers in the bakery industry?
The pandemic caused several changes in market and consumption patterns. In the past 6 months, consumption of baked goods has increased drastically. We have observed high demand for baked items from the end users of snacks and bakery items. There has also been significant rise in demand from households. Our manufacturing plants have state of the art manufacturing facilities which ensures prolonged freshness in the end product. This product can produce popular, premium as well as exotic confectionery items as per individual preferences. In addition to this, the Cargill Chef Team has curated more than 20 recipes for the Lite Brochure from this product and distributed amongst the baker communities.
4. What benefits does your product entail for a cost-effective brand?
With this new product launch our aim is to provide bakers with high quality and cost-effective bakery products. The high-end premium applications like Croissants, American Spreadable Cookies which were earlier possible through butter only, can now be done with similar or better outcome with NatureFresh Professional Lite at almost half the cost.
5. Why do you think this is the right time to relaunch a product which has already existed in the bakery industry?
Two things significantly stand out in this relaunch. Firstly, with the changing consumer preferences, consumers of bakery products are looking for more premium products on the shelf, owing to increasing western influence and a growing cosmopolitan culture in the country . Secondly, post the pandemic, health and hygiene are top priority for consumers. Being a cholesterol-free fat and having an excellent melting profile – lower than the body temperature, makes it a preferred choice. As home-baking culture is evolving at a very fast pace in our country, this product adds to the dexterity of the homemade bakery products. Nature Fresh Professionals Multispecialty fat LITE is our only fat that is available in 1 Kg pack and since it is already listed on Amazon, it is easily available for home-bakers being just a click away.
6. What growth are you aiming for with this launch?
We have received encouraging response from the bakers. They are amazed by the premium quality and multipurpose use of the product and are also coming out with their own usage and application. This makes it a great learning experience for us as well. We aim to see around 30-40% growth this year. We are also hoping that not only professionals, but people staying indoors can fuel their love for baking and cooking by gradually adopting this product and using it for delicacies.
7. You have worked with different brands and have witnessed the change in the food industry. How do you think the food industry has evolved over the years?
Trends in the food industry have significantly altered, especially during the last six months. While countries across the globe are battling the global pandemic, businesses, especially sectors like the food industry have a bigger battle to win by staying afloat and providing for consumers. As we adjust to the new normal, a rise in healthy food choices has been observed amongst the masses. Hence, it is imperative that brands like us, come up with healthier and hygienic food options for the people. We have also observed a drastic shift in consumption patterns, consumer behavior and increased demands of goods that subsequently influences trends in food production making it very critical for brands to launch a product that will qualify on the consumer checklist without compromising on its premium quality and authenticity .
