There is also significant opportunity for products that help manage issues related to low-carb diets like Atkins or meet the naturally high tendency of low-carb dieters to try numerous different functional products, said Steve French, managing partner of the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI).
In a seminar held at SupplySide East this month, French told supplement and food company executives that they could take advantage of one of the biggest consumer trends to impact the industry in years, without removing carbohydrates from their products, or adding a starch-blocker to their range.
Data from the NMI's sizeable consumer trends databases reveal that two thirds of Americans are using some method to lose weight and 36 per cent of them have tried reducing their carbohydrate intake.
It also shows that while consumer purchasing of soy foods has shot up by 27 per cent between 2002 and 2003, and high-protein foods also saw a 10 per cent increase, low-calorie foods have in fact shrunk by 1 per cent.
And the fastest growing methods for weight loss include eating less carbohydrates (37 per cent) and consuming foods high in protein (42 per cent).
But companies not active in low-carb or high-protein foods can still benefit from changing purchasing patterns, they just need to 'think differently', said French.
Low-carb dieters are likely to suffer dietary deficiencies through a tendency to leave fruits and vegetables out of their diet. Scientific trials on the diet have also revealed some possible negative consequences for health, such as digestive irregularity from a lack of fibre, potential strain on the kidneys and increased stomach acid levels due to the high protein content, and high cholesterol, owing to the high levels of fat.
Perhaps most significantly, low-carb dieters are also more likely to take other functional foods.
"This group is an attractive target for vitamins, minerals and herbals," noted French. "And they are predisposed to functional products of all types."
Comparisons with the 'general population' show that low-carb dieters are bigger consumers of supplements and are more likely to be using weight loss bars, shakes and thermogenic products.
"Look for specific diet deficiencies among this group and market your products as an integrated lifestyle approach, not solely an ingredient focus," concluded French.