Food and drink purchase decisions are one facet of wellbeing that consumers have some control over, amidst chaos they can’t. More consumers say they’re eating foods they consider healthy “all of the time” since 2022, and while many claims have grown over this timeframe, they reflect the same sentiment: consumers want foods that won’t harm them.
This can come from unseen compounds or macronutrients putting them over their limit. The stability of claims’ order of relevance (despite growth), leading concerns and leading functional claims since 2020, tell us that consumers’ needs are somewhat stable, even if they change with age. It’s the craving for control over their personal health that is really growing.
Food and drink nutrition claims are just one tool brands can leverage to empower consumers. Complementary strategies that assure quality and integrity are needed to fill in the picture.
This report looks at the following areas:
- External factors impacting the food and drink landscape and consumer habits
- Consumer effort toward healthy eating and attention toward labels, claims
- Trended claim use and claims by category
- Food and drink concerns
- Functional claim use
- Food and drink opinions, behaviors and attitudes
- Company and brand activity
Consumers are tightening control of their dietary choices, and brand communications empower them. Claims are part of the answer, with opportunities from other angles, too.
Adriana Chychula, Analyst – Food, Drink & Nutrition
Market Definitions
This Report explores trending food and drink nutrition claims by analyzing both product launch data (ie Mintel GNPD) and consumer data.
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Executive Summary
- What you need to know
- What consumers want and why
- Opportunities
- Relationship building goes beyond securing purchase
- Convey a sense of security beyond claims
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Market Dynamics
- Market context
- Market drivers
- FDA turns attention to sodium
- Expect a focus on safety
- Consumer trust constantly at risk
- High prices forced many consumers’ hands
- Rise in home cooking presents different opportunities
- Food and drink consumers by the numbers
- Consumers becoming stricter with effort
- Graph 1: effort toward healthy eating, 2022-24
- Similar priorities placed on labels, claims
- Graph 2: label reading frequency, 2024
- Graph 3: claim importance, 2024
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Important food and drink claims
- “Realness” indicators see strongest growth
- Graph 4: claim use, 2022-24
- Generational approaches to wellbeing
- Graph 5: claim use, by generation, 2024
- Safety priorities crystallize when viewed through claim importance
- Graph 6: claim use, by claim importance, 2024
- Food and drink concerns
- Sugar remains leading concern
- Graph 7: food and drink concerns, ranked, 2024
- Personal health relevance on display between generations
- Graph 8: food and drink concerns, by generation, 2024
- Leading concerns by claim importance remind brands of the basics
- Graph 9: food and drink concerns, by claim importance, 2024
- Claims by category
- Assurance of safety wanted across the board
- Graph 10: claim use by category, 2024
- Functional claim use
- Well-rounded wellness interests
- Graph 11: functional claim use, 2024
- Personal needs evolve with age
- Graph 12: functional claim use, by generation, 2024
- Energy struggles more universal
- Graph 13: functional claim use, by claim importance, 2024
- Food and drink opinions and behaviors
- Communicating with consumers goes beyond purchase
- Graph 14: food and drink opinions and behaviors, 2024
- Younger consumers are paying attention
- Graph 15: food and drink opinions and behaviors, by generation, 2024
- Brand efforts can be far-reaching
- Graph 16: food and drink opinions and behaviors, by claim importance, 2024
- Attitudes toward food and drink
- Claims count, but are extra
- Graph 17: attitudes toward food and drink, 2024
- Younger consumers value claims…
- Graph 18: attitudes toward food and drink, by generation, 2024
- …but focus on the present
- Graph 19: attitudes toward food and drink, by generation, 2024
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Innovation and Marketing strategies
- Launch activity and innovation
- “Boosted” products
- Satisfying dupes
- Beyond “realness” claims
- GLP-1s enter food and beverage landscape
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Appendix
- Market definition
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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