Diet varieties are here to stay, but ice cream that tastes like the real thing and doesn't sacrifice the waistline is making a comeback.
Nevin Montgomery, president of the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association in Harrisburg, Pa., said consumers increasingly prefer to eat less of a full-fat product rather than load up on its diet counterpart.
"I think consumers are still looking for low-carb ice cream," he said, "but they are indulging themselves. Ice cream is a reward, a treat, and everyone was so hung up on the diet fad that they now want to pat themselves on the back."
Jim Rossiter, director of brand strategy and retail marketing for Wells' Dairy in Le Mars, Iowa, maker of Blue Bunny, agreed. "The trend with ice cream is moving towards the premiums," he said. "People are moving to more lifestyle management and would rather eat less of something very good. You can have a little of this good stuff if you don't overindulge. People are being more moderate."
Manufacturers are responding by trying to provide Atkins diet-weary consumers with smarter choices, said Mary Lineburg, vice president, management supervisor for the J. Brown Agency in Plano, Texas.
From Ben & Jerry's there's Body & Soul, an ice cream made with all-natural products (no sweetener) and 25% fewer calories, fat and sugar. "It's more of a holistic approach, and we knew it needed to deliver on taste," said Dave Stever, director of domestic marketing.
Also new to the market is Haagen-Dazs Light ice cream, a superpremium with 50% less fat than its original version. Dreyer's launched its Slow Churned Light Ice Cream last year, and according to the company, it has helped grow Dreyer's light ice cream sales by 68% and increased its share of the U.S. light ice cream market.
The diet ice cream business isn't suffering, though, retailers said. According to Information Resources Inc., Chicago, Breyers' CarbSmart ice cream and frozen novelties topped its 2004 New Product Pacesetters list of the most successful consumer packaged goods brands in terms of sales. CarbSmart's 2004 sales reached $137 million in food, drug and mass stores, excluding Wal-Mart Stores.
At Leeker's Family Foods in Wichita, Kan., low-carb and low-sugar items are doing "pretty well," according to frozen-food and dairy manager Brian Barrett. "We have a lot of elderly customers who are watching their diets," he said. "I foresee the no-sugar-added items growing because diabetes is, but I think that the low-carb market will stay as it is."
Light ice cream is still selling well at Crossroads County Market in Wausau, Wis., said Douglas Hinkens, frozen-food and dairy manager there. "They get more popular as we get closer to summer and people want to get back in shape. Carbs have backed off a little, even though there are still people buying them. Low-fat and low-sugar are here to stay, though. People want to take care of their tastebuds and don't want the fat but still want something sweet."
