Moderation and Avoidance Trends in Food and Drinks: Implications For 'Better-For-You' Offerings

Published by: Datamonitor

Published: Jul. 12, 2007 - 108 Pages

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Hot topic

The future decoded

With rising obesity levels, shoppers are becoming more conscious about their food intake

An increasingly strong appetite for nutritional information is emerging among European and US consumers

Eliminating or reducing fat is the most important and frequently practiced dietary approach

Calories are treated as an important proxy of nutrient quality

The desire to reduce sugar consumption is intensifying

Carbohydrate concerns are generally lower on consumers' agenda

Consumers are becoming wary about over-consumption of salt

Action points

CHAPTER 2 THE FUTURE DECODED

Introduction: this report analyzes two important health trends

Today's consumer focuses on both the incorporation of 'good' nutrients' and moderation of 'bad' nutrients

TREND: With rising obesity levels, shoppers are becoming more conscious about their food intake

The prevalence of obesity in European and US adults and children continues to increase

Consumers are monitoring and adjusting what they eat and drink with greater regularity and intensity

Awareness of health-related problems associated with obesity means that consumers are taking more self-responsibility

Consumers are making conscious attempts to eat and drink more healthily

Consumers are trying to avoid or moderate the consumption of many so called 'bad' nutrients/ food groups

However, research shows far fewer consumers are actually aware of their daily nutrient and calorie consumption

Key takeouts and implications

TREND: An increasingly strong appetite for nutritional information is emerging among European and US consumers

There is a widespread interest in and usage of nutritional information on food packages

Consumers are spending more time checking labels for nutritional advice

Situational factors influence propensity to examine nutritional content

Consumers have some difficulty interpreting nutritional labels

US consumers have been shown to find it difficult to distinguish between portion size and serving size

Consumers like the idea of simplified front-of-pack information

But shoppers are also critical of overly simplistic information

Key takeouts and implications

INSIGHT: Eliminating or reducing fat is the most important and frequently practiced dietary approach

Fat intake in Europe and the US has been increasing over the last few decades

Consumers place most importance on fat moderation

Fat content is what global consumers are most likely to check labels for

When checking labels, fat is typically the top-of-mind nutrient consideration

Females and older consumers are typically more preoccupied with reducing fat consumption

Understanding of fats is mixed but is becoming more detailed and sophisticated

Consumer awareness of differing fats is relatively high

But actual knowledge about the types of fat that should be eliminated from one's diet is patchy

Key takeouts and implications

INSIGHT: Calories are treated as an important proxy of nutrient quality

Calorie intake is increasing globally

Consumer concerns regarding calories are on a par - if not greater - than that shown towards actual nutrients

There are notable gender differences in controlling calorie intake

Knowledge and awareness of calories is inconsistent

Inaccurate self perception of diet is likely to be a contributing factor behind the patchy awareness about personal calorie intake

Key takeouts and implications

INSIGHT: The desire to reduce sugar consumption is intensifying

Sugar and sweeteners typically account for more than 10% of total energy consumption

European and US consumers are trying to cut down sugar intake

Low calorie sweeteners are proving increasingly popular

Females are more likely to focus on sugar reduction than males

Awareness of sugars is higher than actual understanding

The level of awareness of sugars and low-calorie sweeteners is relatively high in the US

Awareness is not reflected by a deep understanding

A lack of understanding may be creating a 'trust void' with consumers

Key takeouts and implications

INSIGHT: Carbohydrate concerns are generally lower on consumers' agenda

Carbohydrate consumption concerns are generally lower especially when compared to the Atkins fad and other nutrients

Female and older consumers monitor carb intake more intensively

The carbohydrate focus has shifted towards 'positive nutrition' as reflected by expressions like 'good carbs' and 'smart carbs'

Key takeouts and implications

INSIGHT: Consumers are becoming wary about over-consumption of salt

US and UK consumers are most concerned with salt/ sodium reduction

Females and older consumers place most importance on salt reduction

The growing desire to reduce processed food consumption is linked with concerns over salt intake

Conclusions

CHAPTER 3 ACTION POINTS

Introduction

ACTION: Adopt a proactive stance towards health-driven product reformulation

There is considerable evidence to suggest better-for-you innovations are meeting consumer needs

Adopt a three-tiered approach to food and drink innovation which is focused on health

Where possible make gradual reformulation changes to allow consumer palates to adjust

Ensure low-fat reformulation is the primary fixture in better-for-you innovation

The reduction of trans fat is especially important in the US

Consumers are also looking to restrict saturated fat intake and this needs to be addressed through better-for-you innovation

Make efforts to cut salt from processed foods

Cut sugar content especially in morning goods and children's product lines

Use sweetening ingredients that are better for consumers and widely recognized as being so

Ensure transparency exists regarding calorie content

Give better-for-you innovation an added edge by including genuinely healthy content

ACTION: Target older consumers, females and children with reformulated products

Create messages based on women's more complex and intimate approach to communication

Base humor-orientated messages on shared experiences

Support the empowerment of women with societal marketing

Target female-friendly media

Create word of-mouth marketing campaigns targeting female connectivity

Target Seniors' core values with your marketing concept

Proactively reformulate kids' targeted products to make them healthier

Hold yourselves to rigorous nutritional standards when developing kid-friendly products

ACTION: Resolve the food and beverage labeling conundrum

Provide information for two types of consumer usage scenarios

Ensure that labeling is not the only area where you offer engaging nutrition information

CHAPTER 4 APPENDIX

Definitions

Research methodology

References

Future readings

How to contact experts in your industry

List of Tables

Table 1: Consumer survey: proportion of European and US consumers overall who believed it was important to reduce their levels of consumptions of certain nutrients and food types, 2006

Table 2: Consumer survey: frequency by which US consumers read food labels that provide nutritional information about a product

Table 3: Consumer survey: the extent to which European and US consumers used nutritional information on product packaging to help make food and drink choices, by country, 2006

Table 4: Consumer survey: understanding of nutritional panels/labels used on food packaging, by region, 2005

Table 5: Fat consumption expressed in grams per person per day, by country, 1981-2003

Table 6: Consumer survey: % of US consumers who had heard of, and were trying to reduce their consumption of, different fats, 2007

Table 7: Consumer survey: the degree of importance consumers place on reducing their saturated fat content, by country, 2006

Table 8: Consumer survey: propensity of European consumers to consume less fat, less sugar, less salt, fewer calories and less meat, by country, 2006

Table 9: Consumer survey: proportion of consumers who 'regularly' check labels for various contents, by content and region, 2005

Table 10: Consumer survey: types of nutrient information sought by US consumers, 2006

Table 11: Consumer survey: frequency of using fat, sugar, salt and sugar content displayed on package labels, UK, 2006

Table 12: Global per capita food consumption (kcal per capita per day), by region and decade, 1964-2030

Table 13: Dietary energy expressed in kcal per person per day, by country, 1981-2003

Table 14: Consumer survey: importance placed on controlling calorie intake, by country, US & Europe, 2006

Table 15: Consumer survey: the degree of importance consumers place on reducing their sugar intake, by country, 2006

Table 16: Consumer survey: US consumer awareness and consumption of sugars and low calorie sweeteners

Table 17: Consumer survey: the degree of importance consumers place on monitoring their carbohydrate intake, by country, 2006

Table 18: Consumer survey: US consumer awareness and consumption of carbohydrates, 2007

Table 19: Consumer survey: the degree of importance consumers place on reducing their salt intake, by country, 2006

Table 20: Consumer survey: the degree of importance consumers place on reducing processed food consumption, by country, 2006

Table 21: Definitions used in the report

List of Figures

Figure 1: Moderation and avoidance behaviors in food and drink are driven by a broad range of factors

Figure 2: Avoidance, moderation and positive nutrition are all trends associated with healthy eating and drinking

Figure 3: US adults are most likely to be overweight or obese

Figure 4: The prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing in both Europe and the US

Figure 5: Changing dietary patterns in the US with an intensified focus on health are reflected by successful new products

Figure 6: Nearly two-thirds of European and US consumers took steps to eat more healthily in 2005-2006

Figure 7: European and US consumers have strong dispositions towards moderating fat, sugar and salt

Figure 8: US consumers are most aware of their sugar intake although general nutrient intake awareness is relatively low

Figure 9: Consumers are more likely to check nutritional information on the package when buying it for the first time

Figure 10: Key consumer expectations from good nutrition labeling highlight three core criteria that manufacturers and retailers must satisfy

Figure 11: Females and older consumers place more importance on reducing fat intake

Figure 12: US consumers are aware of many types of fat

Figure 13: Governmental and institutional campaigns are contributing to an increased understanding of fats

Figure 14: More than half of European and US consumers claimed to know the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats in 2005

Figure 15: Gender, age, income and education all influence the degree to which consumers focus on calorific reduction

Figure 16: US consumers get the highest proportion of their energy from sugar & sweetener consumption

Figure 17: A desire to reduce sugar intake has helped fuel demand for low calorie sweeteners

Figure 18: Females in Europe and the US place more importance on reducing sugar consumption

Figure 19: Females and older consumers are more likely to monitor carb intake

Figure 20: Increasing whole grain consumption is becoming an established trend in the US, but is also evident in Europe too

Figure 21: Notable age and gender differences are evident when it comes to the importance consumers place on managing salt intake

Figure 22: Italian and Spanish females have the strongest negativity towards processed food and drinks

Figure 23: Food outlets are responding to growing concern about trans fats

Figure 24: Restricted calorie products, which have transparent calorie credentials, can help consumers feel more in control

Figure 25: 100 calorie packs have been an important area of innovation in the US, especially for snacks

Figure 26: Low calorie innovation has the potential to evolve into minus calorie innovation in the future

Figure 27: Successful innovations illustrate the relevance of fiber and omega-3 to health conscious and health discerning consumers

Figure 28: Kraft's South Beach Diet line has enjoyed considerable success in the US

Figure 29: A new level of innovation is occurring, with better-for-you brands offering broader benefits beyond moderated consumption of 'bad' nutrients

Figure 30: Marketers should ensure that products and communications are aligned with 5 core values

Figure 31: Healthy kids nutrition will be a key focal area of better-for-you innovation

Figure 32: A myriad of labeling symbols are competing for consumers' attention and, in some instances, adding to choice complexity

Figure 33: Labeling must be well executed, easy to understand and based on trust

Figure 34: Web content will be an increasingly important channel to champion better-for-you credentials

Figure 35: Websites allow health messages to be presented in a subtle manner

Figure 36: Informative advertising and community-based marketing can attract information hungry parents

Abstract

Introduction

Messages regarding the potential benefits and risks of certain foods and nutrients are resonating with consumers. This has created a strong trend towards "moderation and avoidance" in food and drink, which is often associated with dieting and the consumption of "better-for-you" food and drinks.

Scope

Detailed insight and analysis covering healthy eating attitudes and behaviours, especially regarding fat, sugar, salt, carbs and calories.

Exploring consumer awareness and understanding of different nutrients and a review of the latest literature on nutritional labelling.

Showcases the latest best-practice product and marketing innovation highlighting just how to capitalize on changing trends in the long-term.

Strategic conclusions and actions highlighting how manufacturers and retailers should direct resources towards changing trends.

Highlights

Well over half of consumers in Europe and America report that they are taking proactive steps to follow a healthy diet. In doing so they are increasingly recognizing that moderating calories, sugar, salt, carbohydrates and saturated fat intake can benefit long-term health.

When Datamonitor asked consumers about the relative importance of cutting back on saturated fats, sugars, salt, processed food, carbohydrates and calorie intake, it was fats that consumers generally placed most importance on reducing. The only exceptions were in Germany and Sweden where cutting back on fat intake was still deemed important.

58% of US respondents stated that they had used nutritional information on product packaging to help make food and drink choices with greater regularity in the previous twelve months in a Datamonitor survey conducted in July 2006. More than a third of respondents in every European country surveyed stated that they had done the same.

Reasons to Purchase

Gain a detailed understanding of the drivers and inhibitors associated with the moderation and avoidance of 'bad' nutrients from one's diet.

Use the latest evidence based insight to help guide crucial health driven reformulation methods in new product development.

Access a compelling blend of quantitative and qualitative data illustrating consumer attitudes and market developments.

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