Consumer Trends for Dry Legumes in the US & Europe

1. Consumer Trends for Dry Legumes in the US & Europe Johanna Stobbs US Dry Bean Council USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

2. consumption of dry legumes (dry beans, lentils, chickpeas & dry peas) in the US & Europe • the population of the US is 310 million and growing • annual consumption of dry legumes is about 4 kg. per person • consumption remains fairly steady from year to year, but is not growing Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

3. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe • in the US, dry legume consumption is helped and supported by immigrant populations (e.g. Mexicans, Cubans, etc.); for these peoples eating dry legumes is a way of life because pulses are an important part of their national cuisine • result: “Mexican food” has entered US mainstream cuisine Mexican chili and other Mexican dishes are now considered “American” Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

4. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe • in Europe, dry legume consumption is helped and supported by immigrant populations from the Middle East and Turkey • as in the US, the national cuisines of newly-arrived populations influence the consumption habits of the • host country 1.6 million people of Turkish origin live in Germany today Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

5. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe • a good example of this would be Germany, where Turkish influence has completely changed consumption patterns and the way Germans eat • at times in seems that there are more Turkish restaurants in Germany than German restaurants! Turkish red lentil soup is now a standard dish in Germany Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

6. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe • in Sweden, whole areas of supermarkets are devoted to dry legumes, not just for the Iraqi immigrant housewife, but also for the Swedish housewife • Swedish people now eat dry legumes - this was not the case ten years ago dry legumes served in Swedish Tetra-Paks, ready to heat & eat Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

7. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe • everywhere you look, you can see evidence that immigrant populations are changing the eating habits of host countries • example: today, 54% of the US population that consumes dry legumes is actually non-Hispanic • but this does not mean growth the American population is known for its diversity Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

8. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe • despite the emergence of these new consumers, average per capita consumption in both the US and Europe is not growing • we may be gaining some customers, but we are also losing some • why is this? the younger generation generally does not know about dry legumes Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

9. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe • dry beans, lentils, chickpeas & dry peas are seen all over the world by today’s young consumers as • old-fashioned • boring • difficult to prepare • time-consuming Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

10. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe • the one thing consumers do not have today is time • more and more women work outside of the home in full-time jobs or part-time jobs – AND raise children • they are looking for fast, easy-to-prepare, healthy foods that are affordable Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

11. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe the first thing that food manufacturers need to do is to communicate (through the media) that dry legumes • can be fast & easy-to- prepare • are healthy, affordable foods range of canned dry beans, Bush Brothers Canning Co., USA Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

12. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe • emerging scientific evidence shows that dry legumes • reduce the risk of cancers (colon, breast, prostate) • reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease • reduce obesity and Type II diabetes • provide important nutrition for growth, especially for children World Health Organization: 1 billion people in the world are overweight, 300 million are obese Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

13. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe • secondly, offering health benefits is not enough • dry legumes also need to be positioned as innovative rather than old-fashioned, and exciting rather than boring dry bean dips from the USA Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

14. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe • how to achieve this? • communication through the media! • recipes • nutritional information • product information • new product development ….  magazine advertisement - USA Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

15. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe • we have a good example of this in Turkey • the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council has been promoting a new dry legume for Turkey: • dry peas • we have placed product information in Turkish magazines, with recipes Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

16. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

17. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe • and conducted in-store promotions Istanbul Metro promotion of US whole green dry peas Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

18. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe • the result is that today, nutritious, healthful US dry peas are packed by Turkish dry packagers and canned by Turkish canners • US exports to Turkey of dry peas have gone from 0 to over 5,000 MT per year in 4 years Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

19. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe • in the US and Europe, innovation and excitement in new product development is the way forward to ensure growth in dry legume consumption • here are some EU examples… flavored dry bean snacks from the USA Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

20. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe H.J. Heinz (the giant international canning company) has developed a new plastic bean jar with a screw-top lid.  On one side, the label has a clear see-through area with marks for serving sizes. The jar, called the “fridge pack”, contains more than a regular sized can, equaling close to 2.5 cans.  This is for the busy consumer who may only want one serving or who has a bit left over that needs to be kept in the refrigerator. Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

21. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe Heinz has also launched a one-serving baked beans microwaveable plastic tub, called the “Snap Pot”.  This new product sold 9 million units in its first full year. The microwaveable pots provide a single portion for putting on toast, baked potatoes or for bean sandwiches - just some of the usage ideas proposed to consumers. The Snap Pots come in two varieties: traditional and reduced sugar. Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

22. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe Hak, the Dutch canning company has launched a range of doy pack (stand-up aluminum packs) of beans and fruits. The range includes “Mexican” (dark red kidney beans), “Chili Con Carne” (pinto beans with peas and carrots) and “Hawaiian” (navy beans with pineapples in a curry sauce). Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

23. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe The Vivien Paille brand of Soufflet Alimentaire (France) also offers doy packs, as well as “Express” salads which include lentils with shallots and a “Country” salad (dark red kidney beans, blackeye beans, tomatoes, red peppers and sweet corn) – to be eaten cold. There is also a micro-wave salad, to be eaten hot: green flageolet beans with carrots and onions, flavored with herbes de provence. Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011

24. consumption of dry legumes in the US & Europe • I hope that some of these ideas will inspire new product development in Turkey to increase dry legume consumption • If you would like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me: • Johanna Stobbs • jstobbs@marketbase.fr Teşekkür ederim ! Johanna Stobbs, Foodist Trade Show, Istanbul, December 8, 2011