In the US the pandemic accelerated the trend for more health options and for pizzas this manifested as a growth in superfood toppings such as avocado, kale and arugula (salad rocket). Healthier crusts include cauliflower crusts, which are also on the rise among those who adhere to low-carbohydrate or gluten-free diets. Gluten-free pizza is currently on 11.4% of menus and is projected to grow another 27% in the next four years. The pizza sector has also succumbed to the plant- based trend with pizza lovers looking for everything from plant-based meats to more vegetable-forward pizzas. Indeed, according to Datassential, vegan is the fastest-growing pizza type by far, surging 187% on menus in the last three years. Also ranking high among consumers, in terms of pizza options are stuffed crust and global flavours such as Mexican, Hawaiian and other non-traditional pizza flavourings, like Thai Peanut, which has seen a 58% rise on menus since 2018. Consumers today are demanding pizzas with bold flavours. However, they also have room for the traditional. Stuffed crust, in particular, represents the biggest gap between consumer demand and operator adoption.
Datassential suggests the addition of dayparts as an area of growth potential for pizza. Breakfast pizza, for example which is currently on 2.9% of menus, is expected to grow 15% in the next four years.
KennedysConfection.com
A focus on health
When I spoke with Hans Besems, Executive Product Manager at AMF Tromp, he was in agreement with many of the Datassential report findings. He says: “For sure we are seeing the healthy life-style trend reflected in pizza offerings – for example vegan cheese, vegan proteins, more vegetables and less meat. Gluten-free is also a trend that we expect will grow further in the coming years, not only in pizza, but also in the bread segment.”
Hans went on to tell me despite all the ongoing consumer
trends that a frozen pizza topped with tomato sauce, cheese and pepperoni is still the best-selling pizza across the globe according to AMF Tromp customers. “Sour-dough, used for sheeted dough pizzas on AMF Tromp production lines, are providing our customers with ability to offer healthier, yeast free products that fit the healthy life-style trend. Our customers are also offering vegetable inclusions mixed into the dough base – for example, carrot, cauliflower, beetroot, zucchini, pumpkin,” he says. Many bakery operations are not equipped to deal with the demands of vegetable-based or gluten-free pizza-making. Whether it’s made with gluten-free flour, rice flour, or cauliflower, the higher moisture content and lower elasticity
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