Food Navigator’s special issue on breakfast cereals, plus additions

What’s for breakfast? Re-inventing the first meal of the day

• US retail sales of RTE cereal dropped 4% in 2014, says IRI, but Kellogg, Gen Mills insist decline isn’t terminal: US retail sales of ready to eat breakfast cereal continued to fall in 2014, with multi-outlet* data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI revealing a 4% drop in dollar sales and unit sales in the 52 weeks to December 28, 2014… Read
• Consumers prefer homemade breakfast to ready-to-eat packaged goods, Datassential found: When it comes to breakfast, the vast majority of Americans want something quick and easy at home, but surprisingly most people prefer to make their first meal of the day “from scratch” instead of consuming a ready-to-eat or heat-and-serve consumer packaged good, according to Datassential research. .. Read
• Umpqua Oats founders on building a brand, and learning to say NO: ‘Not all business is good business’: If sales of cold cereal are not setting the world on fire, the hot cereal market is faring much better, say the founders of super-premium oatmeal cup brand Umpqua Oats, who notched up revenues of $10m+ in 2014 and hope to grow by 25% this year on the back of distribution wins in retail and foodservice… Read
• Free breakfast in the classroom could “level the academic playing field,” education advocates say: Breakfast remains the most important meal of the day and serving it to students for free offers significant benefits even though a recent study found it did not improve academic performance as hypothesized, health and education advocates argue. .. Read
• Breakfast-skippers may over-eat to compensate for low dopamine levels: Study: Eating protein-rich breakfasts may increase levels of dopamine in the brain, which may reduce food cravings and overeating later in the day, says a new study from the University of Missouri… Read
• Eggs remain a breakfast constant, but how they are served is changing, AEB says: The iconic “all-American breakfast” combination of eggs, meat and a carb is getting an update to better reflect the increasingly diverse U.S. population, but consumers’ growing expectation to customize their food means what is hot in one region likely is not in another, according to research compiled by the American Egg Board. .. Read
• BelVita hopes to take a bite out of breakfast market share with new mini-biscuits: Consumers increasingly are turning away from cereal for breakfast in favor of nutrition-dense, on-the-go foods, creating a growth opportunity for consumer packaged foods companies that can offer fast solutions to the first meal of the day. ..Read
• Healthy cereals could help industry grow modestly in 5 years, IBISWorld predicts: After years of steady decline, the cereal industry could see modest growth in the next five years thanks to consumer interest in healthier, high-end cereals, product process updates, improved commodity prices and innovative partnerships with food service providers, according to IBISWorld research. .. Read
• Kellogg packs antioxidant punch with cranberry Raisin Bran: Kellogg has added cranberries to its Raisin Bran cereal in the US in response to consumer calls for more nutritious breakfast options… Read
• Gen Mills ‘well down path’ of removing BHT from cereals; Kellogg ‘actively testing natural alternatives’: Food blogger Vani Hari (a,k.a. the ‘Food Babe’) claimed victory on Wednesday after Kellogg said it was “actively testing natural alternatives” to the antioxidant BHT in cereal packaging liners and General Mills said it was “already well down the path of removing it,”  after she launched a petition urging them to drop it. .. Read
• General Mills to roll out five gluten-free Cheerios products this summer: Beginning in July, five Cheerios products will be going gluten free: Original Cheerios, Honey Nut, Multi-Grain, Apple Cinnamon and Frosted, General Mills has revealed… Read
• Only half of eligible schools provide free breakfast and lunch to students: Almost half of the schools eligible for federal financial assistance to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students do not currently offer the service, despite research showing it improves academic performance and students’ physical health, according to a top USDA official. .. Read
• 5 street foods influencing restaurants, CPG products: Authentic street foods with international roots that were traditionally eaten outside as make shift meals by laborers are coming inside and appealing to a wider variety of people as more consumers favor fast food over home cooking, according to Packaged Facts. .. Read
• What’s for breakfast? Nuts! (And preferably almonds, says Blue Diamond.): For many Americans, breakfast has switched from being one of three square meals a day to just another snacking occasion – or something to skip altogether.  But this brings opportunities as well as challenges, says Blue Diamond’s Jeff Smith, who we caught up with as part of our ‘What’s for Breakfast?’ special edition.   .. Read