Consumer Study: Naturalness Remains a Decisive Buying Incentive

77 per cent of respondents want foods that are free from chemical additives. These expectations are not just limited to retail, but also apply to the catering market: More than 80 per cent look for natural products in bakeries, restaurants and canteens.

8 Nov 2012 --- How important are natural foodstuffs for European consumers, and which expectations are associated with naturalness? 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. 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 per cent of respondents want foods that are free from chemical additives. These expectations are not just limited to retail, but also apply to the catering market: More than 80 per cent look for natural products in bakeries, restaurants and canteens.

The study found that 72 per cent of consumers accept higher prices for naturally produced foodstuffs without additives. This is especially true for children’s products: 17 per cent would pay a surcharge of about one third for baby food. Overall, every third consumer would be willing to pay 10 per cent more for widely consumed products, such as baked goods, pasta sauces and convenience meals.

One of Kampffmeyer Food Innovation’s 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.

Findings are quite similar when it comes to processing methods, with cooking, baking and milling top of the list of naturally assessed manufacturing processes. In general, it is apparent that consumers’ familiarity with the 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 per cent 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 per cent of respondents are convinced that natural or naturally produced foodstuffs are healthier. 60 per cent associate them with higher quality – an important aspect when it comes to the buying decision, since for 96 per cent 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”, says 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”.

The survey was based on online interviews with 4,000 home owners aged 20-69 years from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, UK and the Netherlands (500 consumers per country).