The majority of UK consumers are distrustful of food and drinks products that offer a 'magic bullet' health solution. Instead, they opt for traditional health foods such as fruit and vegetables, a new survey by Canadean has found.
The UK market research company questioned 2,000 British adults and found that the majority do not trust product labels that promise miracle health cures, such as a boost to the immune system or improved gut health.
Seven in 10 Britons find such claims ‘misleading’ or ‘exaggerated’ and less than 4% rate additional health boost labels as ‘completely trustworthy’. Sales reflect this trend: fewer than one in 20 UK consumers buy products that are promoted as offering additional health benefits beyond nutrition, such as energy bars and vitamin water, on a regular basis.
'The health food market is becoming saturated with new products that boast of new found health benefits from relatively unknown foods or vitamin complexes,' said Canadean analyst Thomas Delaney. 'However, there is a growing consumer trend towards traceability, natural produce and clean recipes.'
This is borne out in Canadean’s survey, as almost eight in 10 consumers believe that basic fruits and vegetables provide equal health benefits to additional supplements.
There is a growing consumer trend towards traceability, natural produce and clean recipes
Delaney added: 'Consumers believe that basic is better, turning to ingredients they know and trust as opposed to products claiming ‘magic bullet’ solutions to health.
'Consumers can struggle to see products with a long list of synthetic ingredients as offering convincing health benefits, as they fear that those products may involve ‘bad’ chemical ingredients which counteract the positive effects.'
Innocent's most recent juice launches: Easy Greens, a blend of celery, cucumber, spinach and ginger, and Skip the Beet, a juice made from beetroot, carrot, lemon and ginger, are examples of the growing preference for unprocessed products without additives and artificial enrichment or fortifications.
Canadean expects these vegetable and fruit juices will be received well by consumers who are looking for a 'back-to-the-roots', holistic approach to food and drink products.
Delaney added: 'These juices will be a good-looking alternative to fortified drink products, such as vitamin water, as they not only obtain their nutritional benefits 'naturally' from fruits and vegetables, but they also come wrapped up in Innocent's attractive branding and packaging.'
