Insights
Opportunities for Health Enhancing Ingredients
Discover how Ingredients with proven health and wellness benefits can influence a consumer's purchase decision
26 Oct 2021
3 min
The impact of Covid-19 has elevated the demand for products that can support consumer wellbeing.
For many consumers' health and wellbeing concerns have risen to the forefront of their minds. They are looking closer at the ingredient information on products to help guide their choices. The ultimate outcome being to find proven health benefit claims.
Ingredient information is important for purchase decisions and consumer are paying a high amount of attention to the ingredient list of products
Research conducted by FMCG GURUS highlights the influence of health labelling on purchasing.2
When it comes to purchasing decisions, consumers are looking for information on the following ingredients: Sugar, protein, carbohydrates and fibre.
These are common ingredients that consumers look to when buying products. Protein perhaps one of the most important ingredients with its growing popularity for physical performance. Likewise fibre has become a percieved key ingredient for consumers in relation to gut health.
Sugar
Protein
Fibre
Carbohydrates
There are also functional health benefits that consumers' are particulary interested in.1
Building a strong immune system has always been a priority, now more so than ever. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 outbreak, many consumers have begun to look for the best way to boost immunity. This heightened interest in immune health will likely persist well beyond this pandemic, and across different markets. To add to this, digestive health awareness is also at the forefront of consumers minds.
In China, 1 in 2 consumers take an active interest in foods with immunity-boosting claims, while 56% of US consumers claim to have made diet changes to improve immunity. (3)
Sustainably Sourced
Simple ingredient lists
Immunity boosting claims
Digestive health claims
Consumers also want ingredient lists with short descriptions and claims about sustainably sourced ingredients based on ethical considerations such as human welfare and environmental sustainability, as well as shorter supply chains to reduce food waste.
It is important to note that consumers prefer ingredients that are straight forward and easy to understand. They want to be able to quickly grasp the key claims and benefits provided by the ingredients.
Aside from consumers' keen interest in product label information and functional claims, the link between certain dairy ingredients and their perceived health benefits is also worth noting.
The growing popularity in probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics has identified opportunuties to use these ingredients to enhance product offerings.
Below: Percentage of consumers who think the following ingredients have positive impacts on health.1
Additionally, maintaining a healthy, nutritious diet is critical for people who want to be active and perform at their best, so whey and milk protein have become important ingredients that consumers look for when making purchase decisions.
Protein supports muscle mass by providing amino acids which the body uses to make new proteins and new muscle. Consuming quality protein, is a proven way to help maintain muscle mass as we age, allowing people to keep active and mobile.
Overall consumers are looking at ingredient information to help them identify products that can support their health and wellbeing needs.
Ingredients with proven scientific health and wellness benefits can play a key role in the consumer purchase decision. Dairy ingredients such as probiotics, protein, and yoghurt are particularly noteworthy, as they are associated with having a positive impact on consumers' health. This consumer trend can be met by utilising these hero dairy ingredients.
References
- [1] Global Data Consumer Survey Q2 2021.
- [2] Global Data Consumer Survey Q3 2021.
- [3] FMCG Gurus 2018
Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited and its group members involved in the manufacture or sale of NZMP branded products (‘Fonterra’) has provided this ‘NZMP Fast Facts’ for informational purposes only. It does not constitute recommendations or advice for the purposes of making financial decisions regarding trading in dairy products or commodities, or dealing in financial instruments relating to dairy commodities. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of reproducing and interpreting such information, no warranty or representation of such is made and Fonterra shall have no liability in respect of any reliance placed on such information in the formulation of any business decision.
