Sweet Tooth No More? Americans Are Ditching Prepackaged Desserts. Here's why the Twinkie got into trouble: Health-conscious Americans just aren't buying packaged cookies and cakes as much anymore.
By Kate Taylor
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Santa may not be getting as many cookies as he's used to this Christmas Eve – well, at least not the prepackaged kind.
American purchase of prepackaged cookies, cakes and pastries dropped 24 percent from 2005 to 2012, according to a study by researchers from the University of Chapel Hill. It looks like Americans are trying to get healthier -- something that manufacturers need to adjust to if they want to keep up.
Related: McDonald's Boosts McNuggets Sales With iBeacon Test
"The results of this study indicated that larger wide-scale efforts are needed among public health officials and all manufacturers of [ready-to-eat grain-based-desserts] to shift consumer purchases towards products with lower energy, sugar, and saturated fat content," the lead author of the study, Dr. Kevin C. Mathias, said in a statement.
Could public health officials and packaged pastry producers end up working together produce healthier products? The odd couple might actually make sense.
Changing up the established packaged dessert recipe is essential for companies' survival and could help nutritional experts get healthier items on the market. Don't be surprised if you see post-bankruptcy Hostess and others in the dessert business attempting to capture consumers' attention with gluten-free cupcakes or low-calorie Twinkies in 2015.
Related: Wendy's Japan Crams Entire Turkey Dinner Between Two Buns
