The online survey of 4,000 consumers carried out by Deloitte & Touche USA covered a range of issues including healthy eating, eating out, in-store food options, consumer responsibility and food purchasing, and revealed a number of contradictions which are likely to make life even harder for food industry players seeking growth.
For example, despite the obvious popularity of low-carb diets such as Atkins, consumers appear to be aware that such methods of weight loss are not the most healthy, at least according to the survey. When asked to define 'healthy' eating, 52 per cent of respondents said it was eating in moderation, and 51 per cent said it was following the food pyramid hierarchy - more grains and fruits and fewer fats and sweets. Only about one in six said it was through eating low-carbohydrate or low-fat foods.
And in more confusing revelations for the diet food industry, the survey also showed that many consumers were completely unconcerned about eating healthily at the same time as half of respondents claimed to eat healthy meals most of the time.
According to Tara Weiner, national managing partner of Deloitte's Consumer Business Practice in the US, slightly more than a third of those questioned said they ate healthy meals only about half the time, while 13 per cent said they rarely or never ate healthy meals. "This response helps explain the food industry's conundrum in attempting to satisfy a wide range of tastes and eating preferences among the general public," she said.
Nearly 60 per cent of all respondents said they would like to see more low-calorie, high-fibre or low-carbohydrate food products available for sale. Sixty-four percent of overweight respondents wanted to see more low-calorie foods, but 52 per cent of non-overweight consumers also expressed an interest in them. This suggests that many consumers understand the numerous obesity issues impacting society as a whole, even if they themselves are not on diets.
Nor are the contradictions limited to home consumption. The Deloitte survey found that while consumers were less likely to calorie-count when eating out compared to eating at home, there was still a sizeable proportion of them who were just as concerned about what they ate. Roughly half of the consumers who ate at fast food or casual dining establishments said they were concerned about eating a healthy meal, compared to 75 per cent who said they were concerned about eating a healthy meal when eating at home.
Even so, the survey found that more than half of respondents (53 per cent), consider portion sizes at fast food establishments to too large, while 83 per cent said they wanted more healthy food choices at these eateries. This preference was particularly strong among households with young children.
Given the much documented differences between the EU and the US on issues such as labelling and genetic modification, the Deloitte survey's revelations about US consumers concerns in this are make for interesting reading. Three out of five consumers (61 per cent), said that country-of-origin labels on perishables were extremely or somewhat important, while 80 per cent said they were in favour of such labelling, even if it meant slightly higher prices.
Of even greater concern, perhaps, given the scale of GM crop plantings in the US, was the revelation that two-thirds of respondents (67 per cent) had concerns about eating genetically modified foods, although most consumers have little choice in whether they do or not.
But having a choice is vital for most consumers, it seems, at least when it comes to healthy eating. While most of those questioned said that healthy eating was their choice alone, a significant number said that they would also like corporations to support them in their efforts.
When asked who was responsible for healthy eating, 54 per cent said it lay squarely with the individual, and 45 per cent said the responsibility should be shared between the individual and the corporation. Less than one per cent believed the onus of healthy eating fell solely on corporations.
In much the same vein, consumers surveyed also strongly opposed obesity lawsuits being allowed against fast food chains. Some 74 per cent of those questioned said that they strongly disagreed that these suits should be allowed.
"The survey results point out the difficulties and inherent contradictions in many of our current attempts to eat nutritional, safe foods," said Weiner. "Despite our stated interests, many of us often eat what is most convenient rather than what is most healthy. Food companies may want to factor into their planning the reality that consumers are pretty evenly split on the issue of eating healthily, which makes it difficult to manage product lines.
"Survey respondents mostly claim they try to eat healthy, read nutritional labels and that they would like to see more healthy food menu items, but given that 57 percent of the respondents also said they were overweight, it appears to be a struggle for most of us. The survey shows that the food industry has a lot of different issues to deal with, many of which directly contradict one another."Weiner added: "Food corporations that are quick to understand and respond to consumers' call for help and provide more healthy menus may position themselves to achieve a greater hold in maintaining market share and solidify brand loyalty with their customers."