Survey highlights quality demand of European bread buyers

The three top reasons for buying a particular bread brand are consistent quality, health, and value for money, according to a Novozymes consumer survey which investigated the habits of 3794 consumers in the UK, France, German and Sweden.

Novozymes last year launched a new Novomyl enzyme for bread quality called Novamyl Pro, a maltogenic amylase preparations which works by breaking down the starch to provide longer-lasting crumb softness, elasticity and moistness.

It decided to conduct the survey with the Retail Institute of Scandinavia in order to gain deeper insights into what motivates choice. The findings were shared at a summit on future trends and sustainability in the bakery sector earlier this year.

The survey covered wholemeal bread, toast/sandwich bread, rye bread, and soft buns and rolls. It included topics from brand choice and bread type, to whether consumers squeeze bread before they buy, and the length of time they use the bread after purchase.

“Some of the survey results were truly fascinating. The fact that 70 per cent of all bread consumers can be influenced at the point of purchase highlights just how important the look and feel of the final product is,” said Pål Ladsten, regional marketing Manager at Novozymes.

Overall 37 per cent of consumers said they bought the same 2 or 3 brands, while 25 per cent bought the bread that looked the most inviting, 18 per cent bought the store’s own brand, and 16 per cent bought one specific brand.

In 85 per cent of households in all four countries less than 10 per cent of bread (all types) was thrown away, but when it was the most common reasin was that it was mouldy (34 per cent), followed by dry (24 per cent), and hard (19 per cent).