Abstract
Overview
Introduction
Encouraging consumers to increase their intake of fruit and vegetables is a
worldwide issue. The benefits of meeting fruit and vegetable targets, which
typically vary on a national basis, are becoming more apparent to nutrition
conscious shoppers who are adjusting their eating habits accordingly. This
report identifies the implications for both produce and packaged goods'
players.
Scope
- Detailed insights and analysis documenting the drivers and inhibitors of
fruit and vegetable consumption
- Country level data covering Europe, the US, Australia and New Zealand.
This is segmented by fresh, frozen and canned formats
- Analysis documenting the relative importance consumers place on fruit and
vegetable consumption and how this varies by socio-demographics
- Strategic conclusions combined with actionable recommendations for all
industry players
Highlights
49% of European and US consumers believe that eating fresh food and drinks is
a ' very important' dietary approach. This ranges from a high of 51% in the UK
to a low of 36% in Sweden. Datamonitor research and other important studies
indicate that a high importance is being placed on consuming fresh products as
part of a broader emphasis on health
In an ideal world, people would embrace a balanced diet with adequate
quantities of fruit and vegetables. Despite a heightened focus and high
general focus being placed on fruit and vegetable consumption, many consumers'
diets are still deficient of recommended intake. This creates a strong market
opportunity for functional/ enhanced products
The growth of ' superfruits' has helped to bring the consumption of fruits and
vegetables back into shoppers' consciousness. That said, there is a risk that
the growth of such products has undermined the appeal of more
established/standard fruit and vegetables, especially in countries where the
superfruit phenomenon has been more established
Reasons to Purchase
- Obtain a detailed understanding of consumer attitudes and behaviors
towards increasing fruit and vegetable consumption
- Find inspiration for innovative formulations and product positioning which
takes advantage of consumers' evolving preferences
- Access a blend of quantitative and qualitative data illustrating consumer
attitudes, actual consumption and best-practice marketing across the globe
Table of Contents
- Overview
- Table of Contents
- Table of figures
- Table of tables
- THE FUTURE DECODED
- INTRODUCTION: Fruit and vegetable consumption worldwide ischanging for
many reasons
- TREND: Consumers are making greater efforts to eat morefresh food and
meet their fruit and vegetable targets
- Surveys show that a high importance is being placed onconsuming fresh
products as part of a broader emphasis on health
- The volume and value of fruit and vegetable consumption isincreasing
in many countries across Europe, North America and Asia
- Canned and frozen fruit and vegetables are also showingsigns of growth
- Fruit-based beverages are proving a popular choice forconsumers,
though this is less true of vegetable juices
- Despite a heightened focus and high general focus beingplaced on fruit
and vegetable consumption, many consumers' diets are stilldeficient of
recommended intake
- Studies also show that children lack micro nutrients fromfruit and
vegetables
- Key take outs and implications: consumers are ultimatelyreceptive to
fruit and vegetable quotas, but need additional benefits tofurther
increase consumption
- INSIGHT: Increasing information from government and healthassociation
sources is driving fruit and vegetable consumption
- Government-driven initiatives are focusing on providing anachievable
quota to encourage consumption
- The mass media have an increasing tendency to reportpotential health
benefits of fruits and vegetables
- The internet is a rapidly-expanding source of nutritionalinformation
- Health centers and GPs are regarded by consumers as atrustworthy
source of advice about healthy consumption
- Scientific research into new health benefits of fruit andvegetables is
attractive to all key demographics
- Key take outs and implications: consumers receiveinformation from a
plethora of sources, but they are increasingly lookingfor trustworthy
messages surrounding health
- INSIGHT: Rising vegetarianism makes fresh fruit andvegetables an
increasingly large factor in contemporary diets
- The percentage of population of vegetarians is significantin all
countries due to both health and ethical factors
- Key take outs and implications: vegetarians are anextremely important
consumer group for fruit and vegetable retailers
- INSIGHT: Consumers have more choice in the form of fruitand vegetable
consumption, but less choice in where they are purchased
- More products with marked ' target' portions are available,especially
in the juice and smoothie markets
- The idea of ' daily dosing' is beginning to gain appeal
- ' Superfruits' are a phenomenon that have excited consumers
- ' Food deserts' are excluding certain demographics fromessential foods
- Barriers to entry are forcing smaller retailers to concedemarket share
to supermarkets
- Key take outs and implications: consumers are looking forconvenient
and easy ways to boost their consumption on a daily basis
- INSIGHT: Socio-demographic variances in fruit &vegetable consumption
- Women place more importance on the consumption of fruitand vegetables
than men and are more likely to make efforts to adjusttheir habits
accordingly
- The evidence surrounding the impact of age on fruit andvegetable
consumption and attitudes is more variable
- Social class/income and education also affects fruit andvegetable
attitudes and behavior
- The influence of parents is critical in the long-termfruit and
vegetable consumption habits of their children
- Key take outs and implications: there areclearly-identifiable trends
when assessing fruit and vegetable consumptionacross a number of key
demographics
- INSIGHT: False assumptions about the nutritional value offoods are
preventing consumers from fulfilling fruit and vegetable quotas
- US consumers believe that frozen vegetables are not asnutritious as
fresh ones
- Children are assuming that the expressions ' diet' and' fat-free' are
synonymous with high nutritional value
- Consumers are currently overly optimistic about thenutritional value
of superfoods
- Consumers suffer from an overall ' optimistic bias' regarding their own
diets
- Key take outs and implications: consumers do not fullyunderstand all
aspects of consumption and personal health
- ACTION POINTS
- ACTION: Look for opportunities to develop ' daily dosing' products that
make consuming these ingredients easier
- Look for opportunities to add fruit or vegetable contentto existing
and newly developed brands
- ACTION: Seek to dispel myths about the relative healthbenefits of
products
- Dispelling myths about frozen, packaged fruit andvegetables remains an
ongoing necessity
- Emphasize that convenience food and beverage solutions canalso be
nutritious
- Encourage consumers to substitute supplement usage for amore natural,
safer and sensual alternative
- ACTION: Investigate ways to provide access to fruit andvegetable for
consumers in ' food deserts'
- Developing better packaging techniques such as ' MAP' increase shelf
life and make stocking fruit and vegetables more appealingto small
retailers
- Increasing the scope of home delivery will help make fruitand
vegetables more accessible to more people
- APPENDIX
- Definitions
- Methodology
- Further reading and references
- Industry and news sources
- Datamonitor reports
- Academic sources
- Ask the analyst
- Datamonitor consulting
- Disclaimer
- List of Tables
- Table 1: Consumer responses to various suggestions onhow to improve a
healthy diet, ranked by average
- Table 2: Market volume of fresh fruit (kg millions), bycountry, 2002-2012
- Table 3: Market value of fresh fruit (US $ millions), bycountry,
2002-2012
- Table 4: Market volume of fresh vegetables (kgmillions), by country,
2002-2012
- Table 5: Market value of fresh vegetables (US $millions), by country,
2002-2012
- Table 6: Market value of frozen fruit and vegetables (US$ millions), by
country 2002-2012
- Table 7: Market value of canned fruit and vegetables (US$ millions), by
country 2002-2012
- Table 8: Market value of fruit juices and smoothies (US$ millions), by
country, 2002-2012
- Table 9: Market value of vegetable juice (US $millions), by country,
2002-2012
- Table 10: National initiatives to outline fruit andvegetable consumption
by quotas, by country
- Table 11: Vegetarian inhabitants (million), by country
- Table 12: List of definitions of terms used in thisreport
- List of Figures
- Figure 1: There are key drivers and inhibitors affectingfruit and
vegetable consumption
- Figure 2: More fresh content is being incorporated intodiets while
processed options are being rejected in Europe and the US
- Figure 3: Consuming fresh food and drink ranks highlyamong Americans as
a contributing factor towards maintaining a healthydiet
- Figure 4: The internet offers a wealth of information onfruit and
vegetables, from nutritional facts to recipes
- Figure 5: Consumers are actively seeking products thatare both
convenient AND healthy
- Figure 6: Superfruits are helping to drive productintroductions in the
packaged food and beverage market
- Figure 7: Consuming fresh food and drink ranks highlyamong Americans as
a contributing factor towards maintaining a healthydiet
- Figure 8: Supermarket ranges incorporating fruits andvegetables are
increasing in popularity
- Figure 9: Socio-demographic differences are apparent inthose respondents
who thought that consumption of fresh food and drink was"very
important" in contributing towards a healthy diet
- Figure 10: Convenient food that advertises healthbenefits is especially
attractive to consumers
- Figure 11: The concept of ' Steamfresh' has made frozenvegetables a more
attractive proposition
- Figure 12: Fast food which contains significant healthbenefits is
becoming more prevalent
- Figure 13: MAP, SmartFresh and the Newell RubbermaidProduce Saver are
all effective in keeping fruit and vegetable producefresh
- Figure 14: Home delivery websites allow consumers tohave a convenient
source of fresh fruit and vegetables