Soups have always had a central place in kitchens around the world owing to their ability to comfort, nourish and heal. They are viewed by many consumers as a healthy and satisfying meal replacement option, however concerns over high sodium content and preservatives can be a challenge for growth.
Top health claims in soups
While consumer concern over preservatives is the top health claim in soups, it is also causing soup manufacturers to launch reformulated products featuring organic, natural, GMO free ingredients and lower salt content. Furthermore, premium claims, ethnic flavors, immune boosting and protein rich ingredients are gaining traction.
Top 5 health claims on soups launched globally from 2016-2020 (Innova Market Insights, 2020)
Apart from the top 5 health claims on soups, other positionings growing in popularity are high/source of protein, immune health, weight management, lactose free, indulgent and premium, traditional, digestive/gut health and low cholesterol.
Soups and bone broths cater to both the nutritional needs and diversified tastes of consumers. Furthermore, the introduction of value-added gluten-free and organic varieties of dried soup is expected to increase product demand (Innova Market Insights, 2020).
Greater number of launches featuring clean label and freshly prepared claims, bone broth soups, sodium reduction, flavors inspired by global cuisines (Indian, Sri Lankan, Moroccan, Korean), vegan friendly ingredients, green soups (seaweed, spirulina), personalized health centric soups (detoxification, beautifying, adaptogens, fermented) and innovative packaging (re-heatable bottles, grab-and-go packaging) are trending in 2019/2020 (Innova Market Insights, 2020).
People are catching on to this centuries-old appreciation of bone and vegetable-based broths. In modern terms, soups are available in a lot of ready-to-eat formats with great appeal to busy consumers with a hectic lifestyle and little time, experience and desire for cooking. Consequently, the demand for convenience and ready-to-eat foods is experiencing a significant increase across the globe. For soup products launched globally over the last five years “Easy-to-prepare” is topping the list when it comes to convenience claims and it is followed by “Time-saving”, “Ready-prepared”, “Microwavable” and “Convenient packaging”.
Top 5 convenience claims on soups launched over the last 5 years globally (Innova Market Insights, 2020)
Soup for every occasion
There are so many occasions when soup is just the right dish. Soup is consumed all over the world as a nutritious lunch, an on-the-go meal replacer, a starter, or even as a meal itself. It is an easily digestible, balanced and nutritious meal that fills the functional role of satisfying hunger and thirst. These qualities make soup a go-to comfort food and a home remedy when families are fighting colds or recovering from surgeries. Because of the strong satiating effect of soup and the many nutrients released when cooking bones for a soup base and, it often makes up a substantial part of different weight management diets. There are plenty of opportunities for soup producers to find a favorable positioning for their soup range and even expand their offerings.
Let Essentia’s authentic stocks and broths form the base of your soup product
Stocks and broths cooked from bones (with adhering meat) form an important part of many soups rooted in ancient tradition. Stocks and broths are still the foundation of professional cooking as they are added to many types of soups, stews, gravies and sauces in order to provide the desired base, flavor and mouthfeel.
Picking the right stock or broth for your soup brand is essential and it can help you pursue the desired trending claims. Consumers are looking for authentic, natural and nutritious choices. An example of this is the true resurgence of bone broth soups as a comfort food and for nutritional purposes. Product launches within the bone broth category have grown by 93.6 % from 2015 to 2019.
Chicken is the most prevalent flavor
Despite the ever-increasing excitement around vegetable-based foods, chicken is still – and by far – the most prominent flavor across most regions when it comes to soups.
Top 5 flavors used in product launches of soups across different regions (Innova Market Insights, 2020)
If you want to know more about how you can pursue different market opportunities using our stocks, broths and fats please contact us at, contactusa@essentiaproteins.com