KANSAS CITY, Mo. – July 1, 2019 – No matter their purpose or origin, unfamiliar ingredients on food labels like sodium benzoate, lecithin and methionine, and concerns about their impact on health are why more consumers are diligent about eliminating artificial ingredients and processed foods from their diets. New research from The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) shows these clean eaters fear being duped by “big food” and are motivated to do everything in their power to control their health.
“Out are boxed meals, pre-packaged meats and chips,” said Terry Fleck, executive director of CFI. “In are preparing meals from fresh ingredients and buying products free from added preservatives as these consumers will do everything in their power to enhance health and wellness in hopes of living long, healthy lives.”
There currently are more than 36.1 million U.S. consumers, just shy of 1 in 5, actively engaged on the topic of packaged food and chemical additives, as shown by CFI’s Illuminate digital research tool that can analyze millions of interactions online in real time. This segment of the population is expected to grow slightly, 5.3 percent, over the next two years.
These consumers are deeply motivated to have total control over their consumption, and not have corporations, governments, brands or friends take that control away, according to the research.
“They are particularly leery of big corporations ‘tricking’ them into buying unhealthy products,” said Fleck. “This finding speaks to the ‘big is bad’ bias that we see in our research year after year. Consumers believe big food will put profit over public interest every time.”
This is a group that is progressive, seeks a higher meaning in life and is motivated to tell others about their food choices, so “it’s an important group to engage,” he said.
The core market is white, middle class individuals between the ages of 25 and 44. The segment predominantly includes couples, either with or without children. They range in education level: high school education (25 percent), technical degree (34 percent) and college education (29 percent). Only 12 percent have an advanced college degree.
“They do feel that if traditional food products are modernized through better sourcing, manufacturing and distribution, they can be made to taste better while offering better health outcomes,” said Fleck.
When it comes to information, they tend to seek content on wellness, health, and lifestyle and nutrition habits from bloggers who focus on cooking naturally, without chemicals, preservatives and man-made additives.
“This is a highly independent group that doesn’t want to give in to societal pressure,” said Fleck.
We see the food industry evolving to meet demands of the clean eater. They key is to engage with this group and demonstrate how your company aligns with their values for healthy eating and safe food.
To learn more about CFI’s Illuminate research and trust-earning approaches, contact CFI at [email protected].
The Center for Food Integrity is a not-for-profit organization that helps today’s food system earn consumer trust. Our members and project partners, who represent the diversity of the food system, are committed to providing accurate information and working together to address important issues in food and agriculture. The Center does not lobby or advocate for individual companies or brands. For more information, visit www.foodintegrity.org.
