We eat less bread in Lithuania, but we remain loyal to rye
Today, Lithuania celebrates Bread Day, or St. John's Day. Agota Day. Traditionally, bread, which is considered the basic food of our country, has eventually become synonymous with food. Does this significance remain in Lithuania? On the occasion of Bread Day, we review the latest trends in bread consumption.
According to the data on bread consumption, 7 out of 10 residents of the country eat bread regularly – at least one to three times a week. Black, rye and bread maintain particularly stable positions.
7 out of 10 Lithuanians eat bread regularly
"Rye bread, our traditional Lithuanian bread, maintains its place quite stable, without major fluctuations. Meanwhile, the consumption of white bread decreased by almost 9 percent over the year. We have been observing a similar trend for several years now," says Aurelija Pocienė, Marketing Manager of Vilniaus Duona.
However, according to her, bread continues to occupy an important place in the daily diet: more than half of the country's population eats it almost four times a week, while only about 5 percent of people do not consume bread at all. In addition, more than three-quarters of the population is classified as regular bread-eaters.
Choosing Lithuanian
Buyers are also quite attentive to the origin of the bread – for about a quarter, it is important that rye bread is Lithuanian.
"When choosing food, one of the essential criteria is quality, and Lithuanian origin is often perceived as one of its attributes. We can see this from studies as well. However, buyers do not always read the labels carefully: not only the composition, but also the country of origin is sometimes overlooked if the product is named in Lithuanian," notes A. Pocienė.
White and black bread – equal for the first time
Another significant change is that this year, for the first time, the consumption of white and black bread has equalized.
For many years, white bread dominated the baskets of buyers, but as its consumption decreased and the positions of rye bread remained stable, the two segments almost equalized.
According to A. Pocienė, less bread is eaten even with the improvement of the economy – a larger part of buyers can afford to choose a wider variety of foods. Communication of certain nutrition fashions and diets also contributes.
Afraid of gluten – they forget about fiber
"Part of the "bite" of the bread market is also bitten by messages about diets that eliminate grains or gluten are often repeated in the public space. It is forgotten that there are very few people who are gluten intolerant, and fiber and protein are essential for absolutely everyone. Nutrition experts have repeatedly based on science that whole grain and rye bread are an excellent source of fiber – two slices can make up about half of the recommended daily intake. Unfortunately, only a third of the population tends to read the composition on the labels," A. Pocienė points out.
Smaller households dictate smaller packaging
The overall decline in bread consumption is associated not only with changing eating habits, but also with demographic changes – the population is decreasing and households are shrinking. The number of solo households and couples without children is increasing, so the choice of packaging and the amount of bread purchased are also changing.
"We see a clear trend – buyers are increasingly choosing smaller packages of 300-350 g, whereas previously the most popular were larger loaves of about 800 g. Smaller packages help to consume bread faster, and less to throw away. Almost 2 out of 5 consumers emphasize that it is important for them to live more sustainably and take care of the environment," says A. Pocienė.
Meanwhile, larger format packages remain popular in the toast segment – such bread is more often chosen by families. Smaller households tend to choose portioned breads or smaller packages.
Younger consumers choose the world's bread
Younger audiences are increasingly choosing burger buns, brioche baked goods and ethnic breads – tortillas, pitas, baguettes. These categories are growing partly at the expense of white bread products.
Baguette – moving into the category of nostalgia
Meanwhile, the consumption of baguettes, as the country's largest bakery notes, is steadily decreasing. This is also associated with generational change – the number of people for whom baguette was an everyday product is decreasing, and part of this segment is also being taken over by shaped or ethnic bread.
"Although the composition of the baguette is basically similar to that of other wheat white bread products, its buyers are decreasing every year. It seems that baguette is gradually moving into the category of nostalgia - it is still bought out of habit and for emotional value. Younger consumers who grew up with toast are more likely to choose it or ethnic breads from different countries," notes A. Pocienė.
According to the marketing manager of Vilniaus Duona, the full potential of portioned breads has not yet been used in Lithuania. Extremely popular in the Scandinavian countries, this category is likely to continue to grow in the domestic market as well.
About Vilnius Bread
"Vilniaus duona" is the largest and oldest operating bakery in the country, founded in 1882. All the bread in two bakeries in the country – Vilnius and Panevėžys – is baked from Lithuanian grain flour. The company employs about 400 employees and representatives of 65 professions. The bakery owns such popular bread brands as "Agotos", "Toste", "Močiutės", "Rugelis" and others. "Vilniaus duona" is the leader of the Lithuanian bread market and the largest bakery in the Baltic States, supplying bread to over 33 percent of the country's market. The bakery is part of the Lantmännen Unibake Group, a leader in baking companies in Scandinavia and the Baltic States.