Towards Sustainable Innovation in the Bakery Sector—An Example of Fibre-Enriched Bread

Maksymilian Czeczotko,Sylwia Żakowska-Biemans,Michał Wojtaszek,Magdalena Mądra-Sawicka,Julita Szlachciuk,Krystyna Rejman,Robert Zaremba,Bartosz Kwiatkowski,Maria Królak,Hanna Górska-Warsewicz

doi:10.3390/su14052743

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the drivers and types of sustainable product innovations undertaken in bakeries with a particular focus on fibre-enriched bread. This type of bread contributes to a healthy diet due to its increased content of dietary fibre, which is an essential but deficient component of the diet, especially in modern consumption patterns in affluent countries. The study was carried out using the Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) method on a sample of 402 companies operating in the Polish baking industry. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) using Burt tables was used to analyse the results. Four groups of companies were identified according to the number of new products introduced to the market: non-innovative, poorly innovative, moderately innovative, and sustainable innovative companies. The results show that the development of a “new formula” was the most frequently mentioned type of innovation in all groups of companies. Other types of product innovation were also identified among the highly innovative companies: a new product for the company, a new product for the consumer, and new packaging. The basic motivation for launching innovative products on the market was to follow new trends and meet consumer expectations. Therefore, the results indicate that a consumer approach to innovation prevailed. The surveyed bakeries perceived fibre-enriched bread as a product with high nutritional value and environmental benefits. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the drivers of sustainable innovation in the food industry and have some practical implications for bakery companies seeking competitive drivers based on sustainable innovation. The study showed that capturing the voice of the customer is important in developing product innovations in bakeries. A consumer-oriented strategy is a win-win strategy, as it will result in an increased range of products suitable for a healthy sustainable diet and environmental benefits using fibre waste from food processing.

Highlights

The issue of sustainable innovation is becoming increasingly important in academic literature and business practice
The number of new products introduced to the market and expressed as a percentage of total products was used as a measure
The sample was split into two groups, i.e., companies that had not introduced any new product (91 companies, 22.6% of the total sample) and companies that had introduced new bakery products (311 companies, 77.4%)

Summary

Introduction

The issue of sustainable innovation is becoming increasingly important in academic literature and business practice. This is because the ability of a company to create and implement innovations is considered to be one of the most important elements of their 4.0/). The importance of sustainable innovation in the food industry should be further considered from a nutritional and environmental perspective [11,12]. This is important in the development of products fortified or enriched with fibre and other functional ingredients, as they enhance the nutritional and health benefits of the diet, especially the expectations of health-oriented consumers [13,14]

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Conclusion