Consumers are still looking for exciting snacks and bakery launches, but increasingly they want products that deliver more than indulgence alone (source: Tate & Lyle, Bakery Digest (2023).

Health has become embedded in product development, and brands are under pressure to improve nutritional profiles without compromising the sensory experience that drives repeat purchase.

Health is driving reformulation

Mouthfeel has become a bigger priority as a result. The way food looks, tastes, sounds and feels in the mouth shapes how consumers judge freshness, indulgence and quality. The crispness of a cracker, the chew of a cereal bar, the softness of a cake or the creaminess of a filling all influence whether a product feels satisfying and worth buying again.

As the meaning of “healthier” evolves, getting that sensory experience right has become more complex. The idea of a healthy snack has shifted from “less bad” to “actively good”. Where low-fat or low-calorie claims once dominated, consumers are now looking for positive nutrition – added fibre, protein, gut health support and cleaner labels – in products that still feel rewarding to eat.

Globally, 55% of consumers are trying to avoid sugars, while 45% are actively looking to increase fibre intake (Promitor Soluble Fibre Sales Sheet), yet taste still remains the number one purchase driver, with texture, sound and appearance all helping to shape the eating experience (Tate & Lyle, The Future of Mouthfeel (2024). Consumers increasingly expect products to do more while still delivering the taste and texture they associate with bakery and snacks.

That creates a significant reformulation challenge because changing a recipe affects far more than a nutrition panel.

Taste remains the deciding factor

Reducing sugar in a cake can alter moisture, softness and overall indulgence. Reducing fat can change richness and structure. Adding fibre or protein may strengthen the nutritional profile, but it can also leave products feeling dry, dense or grainy if the eating experience is not carefully rebuilt.

Consumers may accept healthier recipes, but they still expect the same crunch, softness or creaminess they associate with the category.

That’s why the next generation of functional bakery and snacks needs to focus on rebuilding the eating experience around health benefits – not just communicating them on pack.

Fibre fortification is a clear example of this shift. Consumers are increasingly looking for food and drink that supports health, but many still fall short of recommended fibre intakes. Most individuals do not meet country-specific fibre guidelines, typically ranging between 25 and 38 grams per day (source: 4 Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board, Dietary Reference Intakes: Energy, Carbohydrates, Fibre, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein and Amino Acids, Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2002/2005).

For bakery and snack brands, the challenge is delivering positive nutrition in formats consumers already crave and trust. Solutions such as Promitor Soluble Fibre can help reduce sugar and calories while supporting texture and mouthfeel in reduced-sugar or reduced-fat products. In applications such as cereal bars, this can help manufacturers balance nutrition, taste and texture in a familiar format.

The science behind better texture

Texture becomes even more important in categories where it defines the entire experience. Crackers are a good example. Wheat-based crackers rely on gluten to trap air in the dough and create the layered, crispy texture consumers expect. Remove gluten, and recreating that familiar bite becomes significantly harder.

In one gluten-free cracker project, Tate & Lyle worked to recreate the crisp, satisfying texture consumers associate with the category. By combining Artesa 10 chickpea flour with Merigel starch, the team helped rebuild structure and create a light, crunchy eating experience despite the absence of gluten.

This highlights the growing role of sensory science in functional bakery and snacks. Consumers may be looking for healthier options, but they still expect products to behave like the formats they know and enjoy.

Sugar reduction is another area where the sensory challenge is often underestimated. Sugar contributes much more than sweetness alone. It also supports bulk, browning, moisture retention and texture. Remove it without rebuilding those functions and bakery products can quickly feel less satisfying.

Hamulsion Stabiliser Systems can support texture development and emulsification during processing and in the finished product. In bakery applications, these systems can help create reduced-fat, gluten-free, egg-free or cleaner-label products while maintaining the sensory qualities consumers expect.

Balancing nutrition and indulgence

For manufacturers, reformulation is rarely about one target in isolation. A reduced-sugar cake may also need to meet expectations around softness, shelf life, cleaner labelling and cost efficiency. A healthier snack may need to deliver fibre, protein or lower calories while still holding its shape, freshness and bite.

Moving beyond indulgence does not mean moving away from pleasure. It means designing products that are more intentional while still delivering the sensory satisfaction consumers expect from bakery and snacks.

The future of bakery innovation

For brands, the opportunity is clear. Healthier bakery and snack products can support wellbeing without losing the qualities that make the category so loved. But if a product does not taste good, feel right and deliver the expected eating experience, the benefit alone will not bring consumers back.