How do functional and fortified foods fit with healthy eating?

Marketplace Insights is one in a series of explorations into

consumer beliefs, thoughts and perceptions about products,

services and trends. At iModerate, our online one-on-one

conversations are a highly effective method for unveiling

the most candid, insightful consumer responses–ones that

are truly meaningful to businesses. We share these findings

with the hope that you, too, will discover something of value

from them.

Marketplace Insights

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Terminology Basics.

Functional Foods are

foods containing known bio-

logically active compounds

that provide a cl inical ly

proven and documented

health benefit. For example,

blueberries and their anti-

oxidant benefits.

Fortified Foods are

foods that have extra nutri-

ents added to them that are

not normally present. Examples

are milk with vitamin D added or

juice mixed with soy protein.

We Explored: What Drives your Food Choices?Certain nutritional trends have been gaining traction among today’s consumers. We see this reflected on TV, in magazines, and in the seemingly endless selection of new products that are being pumped into the marketplace each day–many of them touting health claims. We were curious. What do consumers think and how do they feel about functional foods versus fortified foods? And what drives them to make certain choices?

To find out, we completed 81 one-on-one conversations with males and females, 18+ years of age, across four geographic regions: Northeast, Midwest, South and West.

We Discovered: Make it Easy for Me.No matter how old, what gender or where they live, consumers believe that they should be “eating healthier.” It’s often easier for them to think about healthy eating in negative terms: while they don’t always know what a healthy diet should include, they know that it shouldn’t include foods that are high in fat, sugar, or “unpronounceable” ingredients. They also have a clear understanding of why these foods are “bad;” they know that high-sugar diets can lead to diabetes, and excessive fat and cholesterol can lead to heart disease and other health problems. Perhaps more importantly, consumers know that an unhealthy diet can make them fat. Given what’s at stake, it’s important to them to eat well–but most feel this is easier said than done. Beyond their vague recollection of the elementary school food pyramid and mom’s reminders to “eat your vegetables,” most are not exactly sure what healthy eating entails from a practical standpoint. They know that it’s important to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, but have a hard time letting that maxim guide their shopping habits.

We discovered that people are paying attention. They want to move beyond simply having a sense of what healthy eating means and actually put it into practice. News stories, health websites, medical talk shows like The Doctors and Dr. Oz, and even entertainment content on the Food Network address what it means to eat well–the topic is difficult to avoid.

Watching shows like Dr. Oz or many of the food networks that are putting a lot of punch into how to eat healthier. Showing how to eat more greens, vegetables, etc. –Female, 45-54

While the media is a great source of general healthy-eating information, it stops short of where consumers are hoping it will go. They don’t just want to know that they should eat leafy greens, or that spinach is a nutrient-rich food; they want real information (and practical advice) about how to make Swiss chard a little less difficult to choke down.

When it comes to fortified foods, however, consumers are much better informed. While bell peppers are virtually never advertised on TV, fortified food ads serve as an almost constant reminder to consumers that these items offer a “double dose” of healthiness. If a shopper happens to forget that Smart Balance® offers a low-fat alternative to butter with heart- healthy omega-3s, the package labeling will refresh her memory once she gets to the store. What’s more, while they know that fruits and vegetables are the health- iest options, fortified foods strike con-sumers as a more attainable, realistic approach to healthy eating.

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Where Are Consumers Getting Their Information?

Reading some of the labels on products, watching programs on TV and reading articles on health and diet in magazines and newspapers all contribute to my knowledge of healthy foods and healthy eating. –Female, 55-64

Inputs That Fuel Healthy Food Choices.Ultimately, the items that end up in consumers’ shopping carts are those that measure up to their standards of

taste, cost, convenience and, finally, healthiness. Taste and price are closely intertwined; while many

consumers are watching their wallets, they are also striving to eliminate waste and purchase products that will

be eaten by the entire family. They also tend to steer clear of those that seem “complicated” or involve

“a lot of preparation.” This same price sensitivity makes them a bit hesitant to try new items that they aren’t

familiar with, out of fear that no one will like it and it will be wasted. Taste also governs how consumers

choose between like items that are similarly priced. Whether the food is functional or fortified, and regardless of

the relative health benefits of either food, most will opt for whichever tastes best.

It would depend on the taste of the other food. If it had the same nutrients but tastes better than a plain old carrot I’d probably buy the other food. Like there are these cookies called WhoNU®, or something like that. They have as much calcium as a glass of milk and as much fiber as bowl of oatmeal, etc. I would tend to buy those instead of milk or oatmeal. –Female, 35-44

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The Added Value Of Added Nutrients.

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Given the importance of keeping prices reasonable, fortified foods are par-ticularly appealing from a value standpoint. Consumers perceive these foods as providing a “bonus” benefit above and beyond what they might get from choosing a non-fortified option; for example, that orange juice fortified with calcium gives consumers something more than they’d get if they just ate the orange. Some were even willing to pay more for items that contain additional nutritional benefits, occasionally believing that fortified foods might help them avoid the need for multivitamins and other supplements.

If I found a carton of orange juice at the same price, I’d pick the fortified one with added extra, say, calcium over the just plain orange juice. I’d want the added benefit of the calcium. –Female, 55-64

Fortified foods also ease consumers’ consciences. Those with a weakness for less-than-healthy foods–sugary cereals, sweets, butter-slathered muffins, etc.– can feel better about indulging when they choose a fortified option. While somewhere in

the back of their minds they know that they could have made a healthier choice, their penchant for Cocoa Krispies® is more justifiable when they think about the additional vitamins that have been added to the cereal. Fortified foods allow consumers to “upgrade” the nutritional value of generally “bad-for- you” items by providing a nutritional bonus. Many also use fortified foods as a way to close nutritional gaps in their–or their families’–diets.

This is particularly true for parents, who often worry that their kids aren’t getting the nutrients they need from fruits and vegetables. Fortified foods promise to de- liver that nutrition in a way even the pickiest eater can’t complain about. In this way, fortified foods often prove a “win-win” for consumers–they satisfy con- sumers’ tastebuds, but in a healthier form that also packs a nutritional punch.

Barriers To Healthy Food Purchases.The barriers to healthy eating abound, and normally boil down to concerns about taste, cost, and convenience. However, the characteristics of

these barriers change slightly, depending on whether consumers are thinking about Functional or Fortified foods.

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Fortified

Nutritional GapConsumers wonder if fortified foods can deliver on the “healthy” promise.

Fortified

Health ConsequencesConsumers wonder about the health implications down the road.

Overconsumption of NutrientsThey wonder whether eating too many nutrients can be harmful.

FortifiedFortification ProcessThey’re concerned about what isdone to make foods fortified.

Fortified

Functional

Labor IntensiveRinsing, peeling, cooking.

Consumers simply don’t have time.

Functional

Taste PerceptionsApples, blueberries, salads. Consumers

prefer tasty and familiar foods.

Functional

IntimidationEggplant? Fennel?

How do you cook them?

Functional

Cost and SpoilingConsumers are concerned that

for the price, no one will eat them.

Consumers know that they should be eating healthier diets that include a sizeable dose of fruits and vegetables. So what keeps them from loading up on functional foods?

Taste is a key reason consumers opt for less healthy alternatives. Consumer would rather get their recommended daily allowances of nutrients in a more delicious form than what’s gen- erally available to them in the produce aisle.

Closely related to this issue of taste is the “intimidation factor” of “strange” fruits and vegetables. Nearly everyone can come up with a simple use for lettuce, but what of kohlrabi? Eggplant? Fennel? When it comes to functional foods purchases, most elect to stay within their comfort zones–even discounts (or low cost, relative to other produce) fail to motivate them to branch out.

The labor involved in preparing functional foods is also of concern. In addition to being rinsed, most also require some peeling, chopping, seeding, or even cooking before they can be served. Time-harried consumers don’t have time to think about the work it would take to incorporate these foods into a weeknight dinner, even if they had a clue as to how they should be prepared.

I like to eat a fresh varied menu as often as possible, but often it is less expensive and more convenient to eat processed ready-to-eat food... it is easier to eat a frozen pizza than to make one. It is more economical to eat a processed fruit cup, than to purchase all of the fruits fresh and prepare it myself and eat it al l before spoilage... –Male, 45-54

Expense is another purchasing obstacle. Although functional foods may have a lower sticker price than some of the more processed foods available, the real sticker shock usually comes from consumers’ near-certainty that these foods will spoil in their re-frigerators. This worry isn’t just based on the fact that fresh produce simply doesn’t have the shelf life of, say, instant mashed potatoes. Rather, it stems more from consumers’ concerns that no one in their house will choose to eat these foods before they go bad.

Ultimately, consumers might be able to overcome these hesitations if they had a better understand-ing of why functional foods are “worth it.” But most really don’t know why they should eat these foods–they know that they’re healthy, but they don’t know how eat-ing specific fruits and vegetables correlates to their bodies’ need for nutrients.

Functional Food Concerns: Taste, Time, Comfort, Value.

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Fortified Food Concerns: Is It Really Safe?Most consumers do buy fortified foods, even if they have some lingering, back-of-the-mind concerns about the idea of fortification. They recognize that these foods are part of their everyday diets: cereal is fortified with vita-mins and minerals; milk contains added vitamin D, etc. They usually see these added nutrients as a positive– although they aren’t always willing to pay more for them.

Consumers’ biggest questions about fortified food focus on the fortification process and concerns about complete nutrition. While they are happy for the opportunity to receive the added benefit– omega-3, vitamin D, calcium,

etc.– they wonder a bit about the chemical “tweaking” required to fit in these nutrients. Further, they recognize that fortified foods tend to be more processed, both as a result of the fortification process and the fact that they tend to be “shelf stable.” Consumers worry whether this process–and these foods–is safe, and wonder about the implications for their health “10, 15 years down the line.”

Similarly, they wonder whether fortified foods are as healthy as they claim to be from a nutritional standpoint. That is, can anyone rely on, say, a fortified cookie as a good– or complete– source of vitamins and minerals?

A few also worry about the possibility of “OD-ing” on nutrients from fortified sources. If one cookie is forti-fied with a day’s worth of vitamin A, but someone eats 7 cookies, what might happen?

People can use [fortified foods] as an excuse to continue to eat badly. As an example I have the vitamin water, which is healthy so I can have the Double Whopper and it will be even. Or using the balance spread so I don’t need those 30 minutes of cardio. They can also be more expensive than what they replace. –Male, 55-64

Has there been enough research to know fortified food is actually good for you or will someone come up later and say ‘’no you shouldn’t eat these types of food because they caused cancer in a lab rats.’’ –Male, 45-54

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Consumers have already accepted that they need to adopt a healthier lifestyle, including

a more nutritious diet, but they have a hard time putting their ideas about healthy

eating into practice. They need to be guided to products that are nutritious or fill a “health

void” in their diets, and they need these items to be practical. Today a strong demand for

healthy products exists and is fueled by the media. This health craze has created a huge

opportunity for restaurants, grocers and manufactures to provide nutritious food options

to their current target or a completely new segment.

Implications For The Food Industry.

So, our advice: give consumers as many reasons as possible to notice and buy your products by fulfilling their health need or void.

Implications for the Food Industry:Feed Their Hunger for Knowledge.

Despite being bombarded with information about the need to be healthier, many consumers are left scratching their heads about how to implement a healthy diet. Because they tend to be more re- active than proactive, few will seek out information to answer their questions, so spoon-feed it to them. Help them make more informed purchase decisions.

6Create opportunities and reasons to learn more about your healthy products. For example, if consumers know that a serving of fortified cookies offers the nutrition of a cup of spinach, that information might sway them to reach for the admittedly tastier, but still nutritious, fortified option.

6Discover what they value in healthy foods. Follow their lead and build these elements into your products and promotions.

6Link information about your products to specific health problems it solves or prevents. This is where grocers and manufacturers come in; they have a unique opportunity to fill this infor-mational void. Consumers’ knowledge of their own nutritional needs is spotty at best. They may not know, for example, that only “xx% of Americans get their recommended allowance of ______ nutrient, which plays a critical role in ______ function.” So, capitalize on this lack of information and make your audience aware of the health issues your product solves.

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Consumers tend to see “healthy” and “tasty” and “convenient” as mutually ex- clusive terms. There is a huge oppor-tunity to show them that that isn’t the case. There’s a reason that berries make it into shoppers’ carts while the rainbow chard stays on the shelf: the former are delicious, nutritious, and easy to eat. Gro-cers and food producers can help show that these same qualities apply to other nutritional foods. So, present them with healthy options that taste good and put on your creative hats to present them healthy

food options.

6Take the guesswork out of healthy eating. Offer up simple recipes that incorporate healthy, seasonal ingredients, and give shoppers an in-store opportunity to taste the results. Placing these recipes near the “star” ingredient will show consumers exactly how they can use a

particular food, without requiring them to troll food sites for ideas. Alternatively, designated “pantry” areas within stores might offer every component needed to make a complete, healthy meal—along with the recipe. Not only would this give shoppers convenient, one-stop access for everything they need for that night’s meal, it also pres-ents the opportunity to feature both functional and forti-fied foods.

6Make healthy, tasty options top-of-mind. Food placement also matters. The produce aisle is a destination—a place busy shoppers don’t always venture. Instead, present healthy items in more convenient “grab-and-go” locations.

6Allow on-the-go consumers to quickly make a healthy choice. Offer fortified products and packaged produce in convenient single-serving sizes.

6Create food pairings that make healthy food more palatable. Consumers will likely gravitate towards a functional food offering if it wasn’t so bland. While someone might pass on the bag of carrots, he might be more drawn to the individually sized package of baby carrots with ranch dressing.

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Implications for the Food Industry:Make Tasty and Convenient a Main Ingredient.

Implications for the Food Industry:Market with a Health Purpose—Consumers are Listening.

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Advertising can work in a variety of ways for healthy food options. However, it’s important to relate the current health trend to your products and add value for your consumers. Gear everything you do for certain products so they have a reason to be a healthy option for consumers.

6Messaging health attributes and benefits. Consumers are getting most of their information about specific food products through advertising—and they often wholeheartedly believe nutritional claims made by marketers. They might not believe that you should choose WhoNu?(R) Cookies over a spinach salad, but they completely trust the brand’s claim that its cookies contain as much iron. Consumers need to be taught and reminded that these products are nutritious, and they will gravitate toward products that connect the dots between the “hows” and “whys” of their healthiness. Consumers’ ears are open to messages that help teach them how healthy foods correlate to overall well-being.

6Product labeling. Consumers would respond to in-store signage and labeling on the product that tells them about the various nutrients found in the function-al foods they buy, and how those nutrients contribute to overall health. Similarly, fortified food labels provide another opportunity to reinforce ad messaging about the products’ nutritional perks, and drive home the ways in which those benefits play into a healthy lifestyle.

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Appendix

Project Specifics iModerate conducted 81 conversations with an average duration of 44 minutes.

Quote Attributes Conversation (Fortified foods/Functional foods), Region, Education, Gender, Age.

ThoughtPath™Our qualitative research is based on a cognitive approach called ThoughtPath. Drawing on three select cognitive theories, ThoughtPath enables our skilled

moderators to get into each consumer’s head and discover what’s most important to them, what’s not, and why. In this study, it allowed us to understand

how consumers viewed healthy eating and their thoughts and ideas on fortified and functional foods.

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