U.S. foodmakers are scrambling to satisfy consumer clamorings for low-carbohydrate products but also see a move toward more balanced eating that could spell doom for the strictest low-carb diets, including Atkins.
At an industry conference held this week in Scottsdale, companies including Kellogg Co.and Hershey Foods Corp. touted products such as low-carb cereals and chocolate bars catering to the millions of Americans following diets that eschew carbohydrates including bread, sugar and pasta in favor of high-protein foods.
But even as they push these new products, companies that have been hurt by the backlash against carbohydrates expect consumers will soon back off the more extreme low-carb diets due to concerns about their intake of artery-clogging fat and cholesterol.
Recent studies have put the number of Americans following low-carb diets at anywhere from 10 million to 24 million.
“Everything in moderation is ultimately where all these things lead to,” said Douglas Conant, chief executive of Campbell Soup Co.
“These diets become fadlike and take on lives of their own … and typically they are not sustainable.”
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Compiled from RedEye news services and edited by Patrick Olsen (polsen@tribune.com) and Drew Sottardi (dsottardi@tribune.com)
