Cargill’s Feed4Thought survey finds global boom in interest for immune support
01 Oct 2021 --- Consumer interest in immune health support has risen in the UK, US and China throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent Cargill survey. The company says it expects the trend to continue for a long-term period.
Among the 3,008 participants of the survey, called Feed4Thought, 84% of Chinese, 64% of US and 58% of UK consumers noted that immune support has become more important to them since the start of the pandemic.
“Consumers are recognizing the benefits of taking action for their immune and gut health to support overall health and well-being,” says Chuck Warta, president of Cargill Health Technologies.
“Our Feed4Thought survey is invaluable for understanding how consumer attitudes about immune and gut health have evolved and how we can better meet their growing demand for immune support supplements.”
Chinese consumers showed the strongest level of interest in immunity.Gut health in focus
A key finding from the survey was an increased understanding of the connection between gut health and immune health as most respondents indicated the importance of these two.
More than 80 percent said they believe that good gut health can reduce the chance of becoming ill. In the US, more than half reported that healthy digestion would be more important to them in the next six months than it was previously.
Most also reported they would take proactive measures to support their gut and immune health, including taking immune support supplements.
Cargill has recently invested in this area, making a US$25 million investment last year in BioGaia to develop digestive and immune health products.
Supplement boom
Of the US consumers surveyed by Cargill, 43% said they will take an immune health supplement in the next six months – an 8% increase since the start of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, 46% of respondents in China (a 6% increase) and 33% of UK consumers (a 4% increase) reported they would increase their immune supplement use in the coming months.
Regional differences were also identified. While varied within the country, the survey consistently found that Chinese consumers prioritized immune system support and gut health.
In China, 78% of respondents said immune health support would become more important in the next six months, followed by 58% in the US and 46% in the UK.
One in four US and UK consumers and 40% of Chinese consumers reported that they began taking an immune supplement during the pandemic.
In Tune with Immune
Innova Market Insights also highlighted the boom in immunity interest since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic by pegging “In Tune with Immune,” a top trend for 2021.
According to the Innova Consumer Survey 2020, six out of ten global consumers are increasingly looking for food and beverage products that support their immune health. One in three says that concerns about immune health increased in 2020 over 2019.
Edited
By Louis Gore-Langton
