Food Business Network News Today, consumers are becoming more aware of their health and are becoming more aware of the benefits of adopting a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet. Consumers are equally interested in ingredients in foods and beverages, so they need clear labels, shorter ingredient lists, and simple production processes that have less impact on the environment. The changes in consumer expectations have created a complex and ever-changing environment for the global food industry.
Regulations and some additional food and beverage taxes that may be introduced increase the complexity of the market environment. As nutrition and health become more prominent in public debates, sugar is also closely watched, and the effective date of the European elimination of the sugar quota system is getting closer, which brings new factors to the market, such as economic impact, Supply and demand relationships and consumer preferences.
Cargill is a leader in sweetener solutions, providing the market with sweetener expertise and a full range of sweetener options, including high, medium and low calorie products to help their customers thrive. In response to changes in the sugar policy, the company's main focus now is fructose syrup.
It is against this background that Cargill commissioned the IPSOS Institute (Ipsos Group, one of the world's largest market research companies) to conduct consumer surveys in major European markets to help them better understand consumers in food and beverages. Cognition, attitudes and behaviors of different types of sugars.
More than 1,000 consumers aged 18 to 65 from European countries including the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Poland participated in the survey. Subsequently, the company evaluated the survey data separately from a holistic and national perspective.
The main findings of the survey are presented exclusively in this document, which provides some publicly available data and other relevant research.
Jan-Peter Scheurwater, director of the regional sweeteners division of EMEA (combined in Europe, the Middle East and Africa) said: "The survey shows that price, brand and packaging are the key criteria for consumers to make purchasing decisions, but the taste is the most Important. The survey also shows that consumers pay less attention to ingredient lists, especially those that are considered indulgent. For healthier alternatives to be accepted, they need to be delicious and affordable. In terms of our customers' sweetener expertise, our range of sweeteners ranges from high calories to zero calories. Whether developing new products or changing recipes, Cargill offers unparalleled technical support. And expertise."
“The survey shows that most consumers claim to reduce the amount of sugar in their diet. With regard to cognition, surveys show that consumers have a limited understanding of sugar. Different types of sweeteners have different images and degrees of avoidance. For example, Stevia has a positive image in terms of naturalness, health and reduced calorie content.
Consumers have limited knowledge of different types of sugar
The survey results show that consumers have a very limited understanding of sugar. When asked to identify different types of sugars and sweeteners, up to one-third of consumers cannot spontaneously recall any type of sugar or sweetener, most notably in Poland. Only 1% of consumers can clearly point out that fructose syrup is a type of sugar.
Overall results indicate that honey, sucrose, white sugar, fructose and stevia are considered to be the top 5 most recognized sugars and sweeteners when given to consumers, but when data is considered on a country-by-country basis, There will be some differences in the results.
The survey shows that consumers have relatively little knowledge of fructose syrup, and some consumers say they are interested in learning more about the source and nutritional value of fructose syrup (corn and wheat).
Research has shown that consumers believe that healthcare professionals and government agencies are the most reliable sources of health information, while ingredient manufacturers and brands that use ingredients are considered untrustworthy.
Consumer attitude towards sugar
The survey results show that most consumers claim to reduce the sugar ingredients in the diet. In this category, fructose syrup is not avoided more than conventional white sugar.
IPSOS highlights some general perceptions about sugar and shows consumers' attitudes toward sugar in their diet. About one-third of consumers spontaneously mentioned that they actively reduce the amount of sugar in their diet compared to other ingredients such as fats and salt. Sugar is less mentioned when it comes to complete avoidance. However, sugar is still an ingredient that consumers are trying to reduce when purchasing food and beverages.
52% and 47% of consumers surveyed believe that white sugar and stevia are natural products, but 4/5 consumers said that white sugar is the ingredient they are trying to avoid, mainly because of the link between sugar and obesity (71%) Consumers mentioned that sugar will increase fat). Aspartame is the second sweetener to be avoided after following sugar.
When compared to sugar as a category, the reason consumers avoid fructose syrup is often associated with consumer perception and lack of nutritional value and source information. This perception is comparable across different European countries. There are some slight differences in the UK, and stevia has a positive image for its naturalness, health and low calories.
Purchasing behavior depends on the number and type of sugars listed on the label, not the actual type of sugar.
The survey results show that the purchase decision is driven by the amount of sugar in the product rather than the type of sugar. At the same time, the survey shows that consumers have the same purchase intention for beverages made with sugar or fructose syrup (consumers on soft drinks) The degree of avoidance of glucose syrup does not exceed that of conventional white sugar). However, when sugar is combined with fructose syrup on the label, the purchase intent is reduced, indicating that the consumer believes that the product has a higher sugar content, and in fact the total amount of sugar remains the same.
When asked why they did not buy high-calorie beverages, more than half of the respondents said sugar content was the main factor. This is a consistent reflection of soft drinks and juices, regardless of the ratio of sugar/fructose syrup they contain.
This research is also an important source for exploring consumer buying habits and obtaining information on consumer habits. Taste is the main determinant of consumer purchases, and survey results indicate that prices, promotional offers, package sizes and brands are also important selection criteria. Most consumers also pay attention to product ingredients, although the level of impact on purchase decisions is low, and the level of attention to ingredients is closely related to the type of food/beverage.
Special attention to ingredients depends on the type of product purchased: indulgent products and products that are consumed to maintain a healthy diet. Consumers tend to use different selection criteria when deciding to buy, and are more picky about buying everyday food. (For example, the attention to soft drink ingredients is significantly lower than other essential foods).
In the different countries surveyed, the ingredient list shows the same relevance and importance. However, the data shows that Spanish and Polish consumers are more likely to read the ingredient list on a regular basis, while Dutch consumers are less concerned.
When asked if the industry could better communicate sugar-related issues to consumers, Jan-Peter Scheurwater pointed out: “It is critical to ensure that consumers have access to correct and consistent information. In the eyes of Cargill, to achieve This goal requires multi-stakeholder collaboration, and industry, scientists, the public health community, and governments should work together to provide consumers with the information they need to help consumers make balanced food choices and adopt a healthy lifestyle. It is believed that increasing consumer understanding of sugar should be achieved through labeling, education and product selection."
But he stressed that the study shows that health professionals and the government are the most trusted sources of information for consumers. “Our role as a B2B supplier is to complement them: we provide our customers with factual information about our products while continuing to innovate, offering a full range of sweetener options from high calories to zero calories,†he said.
Scheurwater emphasizes that consumers get the correct and consistent information about sugar. “In Cargill’s view, the best way to achieve this goal is through industry, scientists, the public health community and governments that work together to provide consumers with the information they need to help consumers balance. Food choices and adopting a healthy lifestyle. We also believe that increasing consumer understanding of sugar should be achieved through labeling, education and product selection. Although product prices can affect demand, whether sugar taxes lead to better public health is still No agreement.
For Scheurwater, the current market environment means that there is great potential to replace sweeteners, such as stevia. He said: "At Cargill, we offer a full range of sweetener options, from high calories to zero calories, including stevia and erythritol. Whether our customers develop new products or change existing formulas, Cargill can Bring them unparalleled technical support and expertise."
He pointed out: "A recent case of changes in the market environment was that the European Commission revised the current stevia specification on November 3, 2016. European food and beverage companies can now rely on Cargill ViaTech's broader sweetener portfolio. To achieve optimal sweetness and maximum sugar reduction in the most challenging applications, such as carbonated soft drinks."
Finally, Scheurwater concludes: “Cargill has a wealth of expertise in sweeteners, including an in-depth understanding of stevia and the development capabilities needed to find the best solution for its customers. The ever-changing legislation is designed to reduce calories without harming European food and beverage companies with a beautiful flavor have opened new doors. We help food and beverage companies create delicious products every day to help them meet the needs of consumers."
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