Spray-on oils: A supermarket sensation?

Phil Lempert TODAY Food Editor • Profile • E-mail

Will consumers look back five years from now and feel misty over the burgeoning of spray-on oils — when flavored droplets found new function beyond cooking sprays to play a greater role in meal preparation? As substitutes for butter and margarine in the dairy case and salad dressings in center store, spray-on oils may now be in the early stages of widespread migration across many categories.

And why not? People concerned about weight and cholesterol want to minimize calories and avoid trans fats wherever they can without sacrificing flavor. The spray-on oils impress with their lightness, and appear to be at least as healthful as alternate solid, spread or liquid choices. Consumers can try from vast flavor varieties — garlic, herb, lemon and pepper in dairy alone, and more than a dozen others in cooking sprays and salad dressings. And retailers likely feel confident that the narrow package profiles can contribute to high space-to-sales performance.

Indeed, packages underscore two priorities to build the new spray-on salad dressings segment: The need to teach consumers that a 7-oz. spray bottle dresses more salads than a 16-oz. bottle of liquid dressing, so value is present despite upscale-sounding flavors such as Balsamic Breeze and Red Wine Mist; and each spray contains just one calorie. Once women understand these benefits, spray bottles may wind up on office desktops and in handbags as well as kitchens, for wherever they may eat salad.

Before You Bite with Phil Lempert Latest products, tasty trends — in yogurt Keep your kids happy with healthy snacks Lobster ice cream? The scoop on new flavors Fire up the grill and don’t hold the pickles! What exactly is molecular gastronomy?

The imminent spread of spray-on oils will be built on the success of cooking sprays. Sales in food, drug and mass merchandiser stores (excluding Wal-Mart) topped the quarter-billion-dollar mark for the first time during the 52 weeks ended September 9, 2006, according to ACNielsen Strategic Planner data.

There’s little doubt that we love our gimmicks, especially in the kitchen, but the truth is that this packaging innovation can actually help our foods taste better and keep us watching those calories.   

Phil Lempert is food editor of the “Today” show. He welcomes questions and comments, which can be sent to phil.lempert@nbc.com or by using the mail box below. For more about the latest trends on the supermarket shelves, visit Phil’s Web site at SuperMarketGuru.com.

MORE FROM BEFORE YOU BITE WITH PHIL LEMPERT

Before You Bite with Phil Lempert Section Front

Latest products, tasty trends — in yogurt Keep your kids happy with healthy snacks Lobster ice cream? The scoop on new flavors Fire up the grill and don’t hold the pickles! What exactly is molecular gastronomy? What you should know about cheese Get the sweet lowdown on sugar In salt as in life, variety can provide spice Early spring thaw could affect your groceries Got a good movie? Don’t forget the popcorn Before You Bite with Phil Lempert Section Front   Add Before You Bite with Phil Lempert headlines to your news reader: