A similar proportion (71%) of Australians reported that they ‘make conscious attempts to eat healthily’ either ‘all’ or ‘most of the time’.
Katrina Diamonon, consumer markets analyst, notes that this mindset even applies to our alcohol purchases. More than a quarter of Australian drinkers make choices with health considerations in mind. Looking at the number of low-carb brews on offer, it’s evident that not even our beloved beer is immune from rising health-consciousness.
As health-conscious Australians show a greater interest in what goes into their food, the most important labels will be those in the supermarket. Nutritional labelling has emerged to become a hot topic in food and beverage marketing, not just in Australia but globally.
Nearly half (48%) of Australians report that they routinely rely on nutritional information on product packaging to help make food and drink choices, compared to a global average of 44%.
“This attentiveness puts additional pressure on food and beverage manufacturers to respond via effective product reformulation that’s communicated in an engaging, believable manner,” says Diamonon.
But what information in particular are these label-conscious Australians looking for? Growing industry and media attention surrounding niche followings such as soy-rich and gluten-free diets would suggest that this is the new craze. Yet, Datamonitor found that it’s still the traditional ‘dietary evils’ that preoccupy Australians’ choices.
Nearly half (46%) of Australian consumers deem ‘low sugar or no added sugar’ claims to exert considerable influence on their product choices, while 44% perceive the same about ‘low or reduced fat’.
Diamonon says: “The implication is that, while newer health considerations offer considerable future potential, they’re not yet mass market considerations. Marketers must therefore adopt tempered expectations when it comes to using the newest ‘vogue ingredients’ in health-driven product reformulation.”
Indicative of rising knowledge about the link between diet and health, salt has emerged as the ‘new villain’ in the food industry. Accordingly, a growing number of initiatives have been launched in the region to raise consumer awareness of the negative effect of salt on health.
The Australian Division of World Action on Salt & Health (Awash), for example, launched the Drop the Salt! Campaign in a commitment to reduce salt intake in the Australian population to six grams a day by 2012. Expect salt content to be top-of-mind for Australian consumers in the coming year, and the labelling of salt information to be a major focal point for manufacturers.
It’s important to note, however, that growing concern surrounding ingredient composition will be accompanied by increased scepticism over product claims. This ‘trust void’ will also characterise Australian consumer sentiment and purchase behaviour in 2010. Fewer than one-in-four Australians deem the general nutritional claims made by manufacturers to be trustworthy.
Going into 2010 and beyond, Australians will pay closer attention to product formulation, using nutritional labelling as a primary cue for assessing the health credentials of a product.
“If Australians make a real effort to review the actual ingredient composition of the foods they eat, they give themselves the best chance of achieving those ever-elusive new year’s resolutions once and for all,” says Diamonon.
Source: Datamonitor
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