Foods bearing “free-from” claims are increasingly relevant to Americans, as they perceive the products as closely tied to health. New research from Mintel reveals that 84% of American consumers buy free-from foods because they are seeking out more natural or less processed foods. In fact, 43% of consumers agree that free-from foods are healthier than foods without a free-from claim, while another three in five believe the fewer ingredients a product has, the healthier it is (59%).
Among the top claims free-from consumers deem most important are trans fat-free (78%) and preservative-free (71%). GMO-free claims are also important to free-from consumers (58%), with 35% ranking it as one of their top three most important claims. In fact, interest in GMO-free foods (37%) among all consumers outweighs interest in foods free of soy (22%), nuts/peanuts (20%), and eggs (17%). Another popular claim for consumers is sodium-free (57%), with 40% listing it as one of their three most important claims.
“Fat-free may seem like a claim whose best days are behind it, but there is strong consumer interest in such free-from foods, especially trans fat-free, no doubt owing to widespread concern about obesity in the United States and its related health consequences. Health issues appear to be top of mind among U.S. consumers when seeking products bearing a free-from claim, including those related to heart health and allergies,” said Billy Roberts, senior food and drink analyst at Mintel. “Mintel data also show elevated interest in the GMO-free claim, which ranks among the top four most important claims for many consumers and is more important than soy-free and nut/peanut-free foods.”
Overall, millennials (60%) and Gen X (55%) are much more likely than Baby Boomers (46%) to agree that they worry about potentially harmful ingredients in the food they buy. Despite this, just 37% of consumers agree that products with free-from claims are worth paying more for.
