Dive Brief:
- The consumer trend toward black-colored foods — in ice cream, hamburger buns, wine, smoothies, cheese and other products — could help boost interest in dark rye bread, according to a Mintel analyst quoted by Food Navigator.
- Black foods typically contain activated charcoal and make a dramatic presentation on store shelves and social media platforms, Food Navigator reported.
- "Dark rye bread could offer longevity to the black food trend by marketing its health benefits, especially as the activated charcoal hype is beginning to dampen," Edward Bergen, a Mintel global food and beverage analyst, told Food Navigator.
Dive Insight:
Black food and drinks containing activated charcoal have become cool as consumer interest in gut health grows. The ingredient, which reportedly has a smoky, earthy flavor, has purported health benefits that include helping with digestive health, reducing cholesterol and removing impurities from the body. That fascination has led to activated charcoal showing up in cold-pressed juices, coffee, baked goods, ice cream and other products.
Despite its current popularity and uniqueness, it's hard to tell how long the black food trend will last. University of Utah health experts warn there have been no substantive research studies into those supposed benefits, and there are potential drawbacks to the ingredient. The New York City Department of Health has also banned food and drink containing active charcoal and ordered restaurants to discard related products. That’s where rye bread may step in.
Should black foods eventually be discredited and disappear, naturally dark products such as rye bread could be well positioned to become a more acceptable substitute. A slice of rye may not be as trendy looking as a black ice cream cone, but it isn't likely to pose health concerns — at least not to those without gluten sensitivity.
Still, even if rye's color is perceived as trendy by consumers, this may not be enough to overcome the attributes that turn off some consumers, including its sour and tangy taste, dense texture and harder, crunchier crust, Food Navigator noted. It's possible, however, that rye's health benefits, along with its black coloring, could be marketed to capture consumer attention.
Dark rye is high in fiber and is a whole grain, which some consumers view as a better-for-you dietary choice. Anticipated growth in whole grains reflects these perceived assets. According to Technavio, the global whole grain foods market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.7% between 2017 and 2021.