Dairy Crest is aiming to “reframe” the health debate in cheese with the launch of Cathedral City 82, a new low-cal cheddar range containing 82 calories per 30g portion.
Because it was made with lower-fat milk, Cathedral City 82 boasted half the fat and 33% fewer calories than standard cheddar, but without compromising on taste, said Dairy Crest.
It will go on sale exclusively in Tesco next week in three variants: Block (rsp: £2.25/200g), Big Slice (rsp: £2/150g) and Grated (rsp: £2/180g) formats. Dairy Crest also said it currently had “no plans” to delist its existing ‘Lighter’ Cathedral City range.
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The launch was part of a drive to shift the focus away from ‘reduced fat’ towards a more permissible calorie messaging, said Cathedral City marketing controller Nigel Marchant, who cited the recent success of low-calorie ice creams such as Halo Top as a key example behind its development.
The range’s packaging also takes design cues from the likes of Halo Top, with the number 82 placed prominently front-of-pack, in a move that would “clearly differentiate Cathedral City 82 from the wider range and disrupt on shelf”, Dairy Crest said.
“Health as a reason for food choice continues to grow but for many there is still a perception that ‘lighter’ products will compromise on taste,” Marchant added.
“We’ve seen a more recent shift in government, retailer and consumer focus towards calorie reduction. And in response, a rise of calorie based products in other grocery categories such as ice cream, that have successfully changed consumer perceptions,” he said.
Cathedral City 82 aimed to leverage this trend to “offer consumers a healthier cheese that tastes great”, and with just 82 calories per portion, could be “readily incorporated into their daily diet”, he added.
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