How important are natural foodstuffs for European consumers, and what do they expect when something is described as ‘natural’?
These and further questions are answered by Kampffmeyer Food Innovation’s recent consumer study, conducted by market research company e-Research24.de within eight European countries. Online interviews were conducted with 4,000 home owners aged 20-69 – 500 each from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the Netherlands.
The results show that naturalness is a decisive buying incentive and that most consumers are willing to pay more for products with a clean label. Almost three-quarters of respondents perceive a close connection between “natural” and “healthy”.
The study also shows that both ingredients and manufacturing processes are perceived as natural if they are familiar to consumers as part of their everyday lives.
77% of respondents wanted foods that are free from chemical additives. These expectations are not just limited to retail, according to the survey, but also apply to the catering market: more than 80% look for natural products in bakeries, restaurants and canteens.
The study found that 72% of consumers accept higher prices for naturally produced foodstuffs without additives. This is especially true for children’s products: 17%would pay a third more for baby food. Overall, every third consumer would be willing to pay 10% more for widely consumed products, such as baked goods, pasta sauces and convenience meals.
Kampffmeyer said that one of its aims with this study was to gain an insight into what consumers associate with naturalness in terms of both ingredients and manufacturing processes. Apparently, consumers classify ingredients as natural if they know them from their own kitchens. Thus, products perceived to be natural include wheat flour, yeast, cream and sugar.
The findings are similar when it comes to processing methods, with cooking, baking and milling top of the list of manufacturing processes perceived to be natural. In general, said the company, it is apparent that consumers’ familiarity with processes and end products from their own households plays an important role in terms of naturalness. This is reflected in perceptions of the drying process: 70% of respondents perceive the drying of pasta as natural. However, using the same process to turn cream or milk into powder is thought to be unnatural.
74% of respondents are convinced that natural or naturally produced foodstuffs are healthier. 60% associate them with higher quality – an important aspect when it comes to the buying decision, since for 96% of consumers, good quality is the most important characteristic of a foodstuff.
“This study draws a clear picture of the changing dietary habits and nutrition consciousness of consumers across Europe”, said Michael Gusko, managing director of Kampffmeyer Food Innovation GmbH. “It’s a very positive sign for food manufacturers that consumers appreciate quality and are thus willing to pay more for high grade natural foods. And because the study allows us to detect regional-specific attitudes, we can advise our customers on marketing in different regions even more specifically now”.
Kampffmeyer Food Innovation is sponsoring the Clean Labelling module within the Health Ingredients Europe conference programme. The company is providing copies of the “How to make clean label” report. The publication contains all of the study results, as well as further information on clean labelling in terms of regulatory issues, marketing activities and NPD.
