Kerrygold.co.uk

The differences with the additional benefits continue to be adversely affected by consumer confusion and skepticism, Mintel market research argues.

new product development (NPD) in yellow fat spreads has changed functional with additional benefits for premium butters, especially butter spreads, it said in its fat yellow Report 2009.

It found that products like margarine, with health claims are used by only one in four over 55, "these consumers are least likely to see these differences as tasty and more likely to consider that the treaties" he said.

"Such is the case, despite a number of products targeted at older users actively with benefits for heart health through cholesterol lowering. The price may also be a barrier to greater adoption among older consumers, particularly those dependent on a state pension.

In addition, he said, more than half of over 55 years would pay more for food without artificial additives. "Consumers are moving away from the active health spreads to the power management more balanced and natural ingredients."

To spread function with additional advantages to succeed, the report says, "they must offer benefits that are easily understood and credible in order to generate consumer interest and justify the higher price."

During the past year, the total functional group spreads in the United Kingdom remained stable and worth? 65m for the 52 weeks ending Oct. 3, 2009, said functional manufacturer Benecol spreads.

However, its spread, were significantly higher than the category and have increased approximately 9 percent during the same period, according to IRI data Grocery Outlets.

Benecol brand spreads have recently been strengthened by the new decision by the EU health claim, which confirmed that the plant stanol esters has been shown that blood cholesterol, which is a risk factor in coronary heart disease .

The parent company, McNeil says that approving the request to reduce the risk of new diseases will help reduce some of the confusion consumers have about the benefits associated with specific products.

"The decision of the health claim allows consumers to successfully informed decisions about products they buy and readers as the credibility of the brand," says Esther

Van Onselen, marketing director for Europe Benecol.

Health claims

But despite the recent victory Benecol, many in the industry believe that the NDP is severely limited by the health claims legislation.

"It's a tough time to be in the business of functional foods," the company said market research, Innova Market Insights. He said that not only are strict European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) policies requiring new records to support well-established scientific ingredients such as probiotics, but it is also encouraging consumers to become increasingly skeptical of foods that do not provide an immediate benefit.

"The healthy ingredients relatively lucky to have survived the early decisions of the EFSA to move forward in functional foods and others will be compelled for the moment, based on claims softer.

With the concept of the EFSA has issued decisions to date, it is difficult to predict exactly what ingredients will triumph, but hard times are definitely ahead for radical and obscure ingredients make absurd accusations, "said Innova.

A source supplier Functional ingredients said that manufacturers have been putting

NPD projects on hold while they wait to see what happens in each cycle of health claim decisions. "These regulations are acting as a stranglehold on the industry," she said. "They threaten the future of industry and a series of very good quality, beneficial products disappear from the market."

She said that rather than invest in "blue sky" NDP this year were the manufacturers involved in redrafting.