Industry Stats and Consumer Trends
How industry responds to changing consumer trends
Food and drink manufacturers know that the key to success is to make and supply
products that the public wants. And because consumers' needs are changing all the
time, it is important companies are prepared to respond to new trends.
One of the most important developments in recent years is that our lives have
become busier than ever, leaving us less time to cook meals from scratch. For
example, it's estimated six out of ten mothers of children aged five or under now
have
part time or full time jobs. The food industry has responded to this by
producing
new, convenient products that offer great taste and nutritional
balance. These
include chilled prepared meals, washed and cut vegetables and
fruit,
and
'on-the-go' products.
The industry has also responded to rising concerns about how many of us are
overweight. It is estimated that in Britain nearly a quarter of adults and nearly a
fifth of children are obese after increases in the last decade. This is not just
because of what we eat. It's also because we exercise much less – partly, again,
because we have busier lives. But, even though exercise is a vital aspect of any
plan to make the nation healthier, the food industry knows it has a big role to
play too, and it has responded in a number of ways.
First, many food and drink manufacturers have now started putting clear,
easy-to-understand front-of-pack nutrition labelling on their products in the form of
Guideline Daily Amounts. These tell shoppers, at a glance, how much fat,
saturated
fat, sugar, salt and calories are in a portion of a product, and what
percentage
these levels represent of someone's recommended daily intake of each of
these
nutrients.
The industry has also worked hard reduce the amount of fat, sugar and salt in
the products we eat to ensure they are healthier but still taste great. In 2007
at
least £15 billion worth of products had less fat, sugar and salt in them
than
they did in 2004. In addition, £11.5 billion worth of products have been
launched
as
products 'lower in' these nutrients, giving consumers healthier
options to
choose
from.
Consumers are also becoming more concerned about the environment we live in, and
how our behaviour affects it. Because of this, many food and drink companies are
developing plans to enable them to conduct their business in a more
environmentally friendly way. FDF has helped them by developing a five-point Environmental
Ambition under which companies pledge to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, send
less waste to landfill sites; use less packaging; cut water use; and be more
efficient in ways of transporting food around the country.
Last reviewed: 15 Apr 2008