the low-carb lowdown

Food for Thought:

Food industry experts are in agreement: Low-carb products equal high sales. And manufacturers who are still hawking high-carb foods, such as pasta, are starting to feel the pinch. According to some estimates, sales of pasta are down 7% across North America this year, while shares of Krispy Kreme doughnuts (once the darling of the food set) have lost a third of their value since May.

According to some estimates, there are now 1,725 low-carb products available on the market. Although many of these are reduced-carb versions of the breads and ice creams forbidden on low-carb diets, more and more peripheral products are being launched every day. Here’s a look at just a few:

Dueling Drinks. Coke and Pepsi are both hoping to capture their share of the low-carb soft-drink market with new beverages called “Coca-Cola 2” and “Pepsi Edge,” respectively. The new sodas promise about half the carbs and calories of their regular counterparts (70 calories and 20 grams [g] of carbs compared to 145 calories and 20 g). The soft-drink giants are targeting health-conscious consumers who dislike the taste of diet colas.

Vying Vitamins. One of the hottest new categories in the low-carb craze is vitamins. Products such as One-A-Day CarbSmart™ and Centrum’s Carb Assist™ promise to “break down fats and proteins you eat into energy” or provide “select nutrients to help the body utilize carbs, fats and proteins while providing vitamin and mineral support for those who have cut back on their carbohydrate intake.” Most experts say claims like these are unfounded, and a recent online medical search yielded no published documentation to back up such promises. In fact, one report went so far as to say that buying into such propaganda was like “pouring money down the drain.”

Gardening Gimmicks. For those who want to grow their own little slice of low-carb heaven in their garden, the folks who publish the Burpee vegetable seed catalog are coming to the rescue. Bowing to consumer interest, the company recently posted on its website (www.burpee.com) a vegetable carbohydrate chart that lists the carb content of its most popular crops. Burpee is also considering expanding the vegetable descriptions in its 2005 catalog to reflect carb content.