Consumers' approach to eating healthily: key drivers, barriers and other factors affecting food choice CCFRA Review No. 50 (2006)

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A review and discussion of the main factors influencing the consumer's approach to choosing and eating healthy food and drink products

The role of diet in promoting good health is receiving considerable attention. Various surveys have been conducted to ascertain what consumers understand about the role of diet in health and major initiatives have been launched to encourage consumers to choose ‘healthy foods’ and develop ‘healthy eating’ habits. In order to develop new products that meet consumers' requirements, companies are also trying to assess consumer attitudes to diet and health, and in particular to understand what motivates or prevents consumers from making healthy choices. This review takes stock of what is known about consumers' approach to healthy eating – paying particular attention to the factors that affect consumer choice.

Pulling together information from a wide range of sources – including consumer surveys and market research, primary scientific literature, trade press, discussion papers, web sources and official publications - the review considers the various definitions of ‘healthy foods’, looks at reasons why consumers select such foods, explores the main barriers that discourage consumers from picking these options, and looks at wider factors that influence food choice.The references section provides the details necessary to explore the source information further. This review will be of interest to anyone following the debate on diet and health, and particularly those in industry involved in the development, reformulation, production and marketing of ‘healthy eating’ products.

Contents

• Background
• Definitions and principles
• Food and diet
• Health, health foods and healthy foods
• Convenience foods
• Fresh foods
• Approach to healthy eating
• Knowledge-behaviour discrepancy
• Gender difference
• Socio-economic divide
• Dietary guidelines
• Key drivers of healthy eating
• The need to reduce fat, sugar and salt intake
• Consumers and signage
• Social factors
• Barriers to healthy eating
• The working woman
• Good food costs more
• Demographics and household size
• Snacking culture
• Influence on food choice
• Social influences
• Characteristics of the individual
• Intrinsic factors
• Extrinsic factors
• Conclusions
• References

Softcover - 47 pages

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