Comax Flavors has released new primary research on consumers’ behavior, usage and attitudes towards bread products, which focused on sliced bread, English muffins, bagels, pitas and wraps/flatbreads. This is the eighth study of the company’s primary market research program. The bread study was fielded in September 2017 with 1,000 U.S. respondents aged 18-70+; half were female and the other half were male.
Bread is a staple of the U.S. diet but consumers are eating it less frequently and in smaller quantities. According to IRI data for 52 weeks, ending June 11, 2017, there was little change in the overall bakery sector, with a mere 0.1 percent rise to $13.31 billion from the year prior. “We recognize that the bread market is stagnant. Consumers are gravitating towards low-calorie, whole grains, artisanal and gluten-free breads and we wanted to better understand what’s happening among the general population,” states Catherine Armstrong, vice president of corporate communications for Comax Flavors.