Bake Mix Entrepreneurs Target Health-Conscious Consumers With A Sweet Tooth

Shifting diet trends toward natural, organic, and generally more healthful foods have taken their toll on bake mix brands like Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines and Pillsbury. U.S. sales of cake and pastry mixes fell 8.5 percent in 2015; frosting sales fell 5.3 percent. Meanwhile, sales of organic baking mixes grew more than 15 percent. It doesn’t mean traditional bake-at-home mixes will disappear from store shelves anytime soon (for one thing, they’re a lot cheaper). But their ingredients lists are being reworked to get rid of at least some of the unpronounceables and unrecognizables. Bake mix entrepreneurs focused on natural ingredients are convinced that mixes made with pure ingredients will find their market: health-conscious people with a sweet tooth who hate to waste decadent calories on mediocre treats.