Tate & Lyle Releases New Consumer Dietary Fiber Research Findings

Tate & Lyle’s new American market research finds that nearly 50 percent of consumers now believe fiber can taste good and many are looking for benefits beyond regularity.

15/10/08 Not long ago, fiber was considered a bland, grainy necessity to help support regularity for adults and children. Tate & Lyle’s new American market research finds that nearly 50 percent of consumers now believe fiber can taste good and many are looking for benefits beyond regularity.

Dietary fiber isn’t a new nutrient. Its application in food and beverages, however, is relatively novel. Over the past two years, 65 percent of consumers report having a greater interest in healthy eating. And, they are looking for added benefits, such as weight management, immunity defense and healthy digestion, across numerous product categories.

“Boosting fiber content in foods and beverages can help companies meet consumer demand for healthy foods and beverages,” explains Harvey Chimoff, Director of Marketing, Americas, Tate & Lyle. “Tate & Lyle’s new consumer research provides important insights on how to communicate with consumers and market the benefits of fiber across thirty-three product segments.”

What Consumers Want - Fiber-Rich Food and Beverages

With the United States Department of Agriculture reporting that only 1 in 5 Americans are getting the recommended daily amount of fiber in their diets and the 2008 International Food Information Council survey finding that 77 percent of people are proactively trying to consume additional fiber, a unique opportunity to reach consumers exists for food and beverage manufacturers. In fact, Tate & Lyle’s new research reveals a few fiber-rich products that consumers would consider taking from store shelves to kitchen cupboards:

- Thirty-four percent of consumers say they are most interested in purchasing fruit juice with an “excellent source of fiber” label claim

- Thirty-six percent of consumers are most interested in purchasing fiber-enhanced cookies with an “excellent source of fiber” statement on the label

- Thirty-seven percent of consumers say they are most interested in purchasing pre-made pudding containing an “excellent source of fiber” label claim

Healthy Eating – One Label at a Time

More than 60 percent of consumers are relying on labels for clues to determine if a product is healthy. Forty-five percent of consumers trust on-pack information and 50 percent agree they read labels when they are looking to add a particular nutrient to their diet. Tate & Lyle uncovered label statements that consumers find appealing, including:

- Fifty-five percent of consumers find the benefit of “supports a healthy immune system” appealing on labels for bottled water

- More than 60 percent of consumers find an “excellent source of fiber” on yogurt labels appealing and nearly 80 percent believe “promotes healthy digestion” on yogurt labels is appealing

- More than 50 percent of consumers find powdered soft drink labels with “an excellent source of fiber” appealing and nearly 70 percent believe “helps manage your weight” on powdered soft drink labels is appealing

Children Need Fiber Too!

Ensuring the health and wellness of children is top of mind for parents. In fact, 64 percent of parents attest to looking at labels more often if a product is for their children. Tate & Lyle also learned that parents believe fiber is a key nutrient for children:

- Nearly 70 percent of parents believe fiber is an important component to a child’s diet

- Six out of 10 parents say fiber is useful to help maintain or control children’s health

- Thirty-five percent of parents believe the benefit of consuming food or drink products with fiber helps their children with digestion