Butter Buds takes advantage of organic growth
Buds Food Ingredients has introduced a certified organic line of
natural butter, cream and cheese concentrates.
According to the company, these products, like all Butter Buds natural dairy concentrates, offer the flavor profile of real dairy butter, cream and cheese, but add virtually no fat or cholesterol to end products.
"Greater consumer demand for organic food has stemmed from a variety of factors, though at core the prevalent issues remain healthier eating, food safety and the ongoing genetically modified organism (GMO) debate," states a new report by Euromonitor due to be published later this year.
The report says that the organic food market in the US is estimated to be worth $10.4 billion and it shows no signs of tiring - it grew by 20.4 percent in 2003 - and sales are expected to reach $16.1 million in 2008.
"Sales of organic food have outpaced those of traditional grocery products due to consumer perceptions that organic food is better for them," said the report. According to a 2002 study by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), 61 percent of consumers felt that organic foods were more beneficial for their health, 57 percent of them said that they had purchased organic foods in the past six months or had used them to help maintain their health. This figure was up from 50 percent in 2001.
The survey also found that fans of organic food believe it offers a "richer, deeper taste" than conventionally grown produce. Among Americans, the most frequently purchased organic food types are vegetables, fruit, cereals/grains, closely followed by yoghurt, UHT milk and dried pasta products.
However, organic products made up only 1.9 percent of all oils and fats sales in 2004, with organic butter comprising the bulk of these types of products.
"The demand for organic butter and other fats is expected to grow along with that of oils during the forecast period, due to increased consumer confidence in the organic labels and increased distribution in supermarket and mass channels," says the report.
National standards for certifying organic foods became effective in the US on 21 October 2002, establishing a national definition for the term "organic". Items that meet the new requirements - such as the Butter Buds food ingredients - are able to bear a green and brown "USDA organic" seal that certifies that the food was organically grown.
