Pasta spiralling into decline in trend for ‘healthier’ food
THE rise of the spiraliser could be putting an end to Britain’s love affair with pasta, according to research.
A study by consumer analysts at Mintel found UK pasta sales are at a record low, with consumption predicted to fall further over the next three years.
The decline has been put down to the craze for spiralising vegetables to create pasta-like dishes from courgettes, carrots and squash. Advocates say that the long strands of vegetable look like spaghetti, but contain less carbohydrate and calories, while boasting more nutrients.
In the UK, nearly a quarter of adults are limiting their carbohydrate intake for health reasons, while one fifth regularly substitute vegetables for pasta, rice and noodles, Mintel found.
The volume of pasta bought by shoppers in Britain has fallen by 60,000 tons over the past eight years, from 410,000 tons in 2009 to 350,000 tons expected to be sold this year.
Despite pasta being at the heart of cooking in Italy for centuries, the figures show that demand for pasta has fallen even there, where almost a quarter of consumers say that they are limiting the amount they eat for health reasons.
While Italians still consume the biggest volume of pasta per head globally, they are cutting back on their traditional staple.
Per head annual consumption fell to 33½lb (15.2kg) in 2016, down from 37½lb in 2011, Mintel found.
Jodie Minotto, global food and drink analyst at Mintel, said: “Health concerns over carbohydrate intake continue to plague sales of pasta, especially in Italy where retail sales have been in constant decline every year since 2009.
“The rising popularity of protein and the resurgence of low carb diets have made for a challenging environment for pasta, which is being shunned in favour of foods perceived to be healthier or more supportive of weight management efforts. New product development centred on positive nutrition and tapping into the ongoing interest in gluten-free food will help to polish pasta’s image.”
Spiralising was first made popular by health-focused celebrity chefs such as Deliciously Ella and the Hemsley sisters, who published recipes in which “courgetti” was substituted for spaghetti.
The trend has led to sales of courgettes soaring in recent years.
Britons are now so dependent on it that when supplies ran short earlier this year due to floods in Spain, a “vegetable crisis” was declared. Shoppers were faced with empty shelves in vegetable aisles, meaning courgetti was, for once, firmly off the menu.