Photo by Ruth Hartnup, Flickr Creative Commons.
A new pan-European study conducted by the market research institute Innofact, on behalf of the GNT group, shows which factors are of particular importance to consumers when buying ice cream.
About a third of Brits (30%) pay particular attention to the ingredients of ice cream. In other European countries, consumers are even more sensitive: 72% of Italians, 54% of French and 45% of Spanish carefully check what’s in their ice cream. In Germany, 37% take a closer look at the ingredients.
“More and more consumers look for natural foods and beverages that are free from additives,” said Paul Collins, board member of the GNT Group and MD GNT UK. “Therefore, a critical look at the product label is often part of purchasing foods and beverages.”
European consumers are particular critical if they assume that their ice cream contains preservatives or colourants. In the UK, for example, colourings are rejected by 32% of consumers, with the elderly and women especially sensitive. Only about one in four British consumers say that he or she doesn’t care about the ingredients.
The critical attitude of consumers towards additives is also reflected by their actual buying behaviour. 41% of the British say they’ve already passed on a particular type of ice cream because they assumed it contained artificial colourants. These are especially those who live in a household with children.
In other European countries, consumers are even more critical. More than 70% of Italians and over 65% of Germans and French have already opted not to buy particular types of ice cream for that very reason. One in four Italians and one in 10 Britons even state that he or she never buys ice cream that contains artificial colourants.
“The study shows that ‘free from artificial colours’ is a key argument in the decision of what to buy,” said Collins. “Especially parents claim for healthy alternatives when purchasing ice cream for their children. In consequence, manufacturers have to change their formulations in favour of natural ingredients, such as colouring foods that can fully replace additive colourants.”
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