FDBusiness.com

Information currently provided online and on-pack on the contents of food and drink products is not sufficient, according to consumers in EMEA. New research conducted on behalf of leading global ingredients solutions provider Ingredion shows that just 13% of consumers surveyed across EMEA believe the information currently made available on food and drink ingredients is adequate.

This suggests that there is scope for food and drink manufacturers to boost transparency and consumer confidence in their brands by improving the quality and volume of information they make available online and/or on-pack.

Carried out among consumers across eight EMEA countries, Ingredion’s Food that Just Clicks Report* also shows that technology plays a significant role in how, when and where consumers access information on food and drink products.

It discovered that 59% of respondents use mobile technology to check the nutritional profile of food and drink products.

When deciding whether to purchase a new food or drinks brand, almost half (48%) use technology to compare products before making a decision.

The results also offer insight into when and where consumers check available product information – 30% view it online from work or home. Almost a quarter (23%) of shoppers access it in-store by mobile phone, provided they have time to do so.

Just 23% said they don’t check online for the details of an item they’ve never bought before, suggesting that consumers value transparency and easy access to product information on the internet.

When it comes to how influential product information is in buying decisions, almost one-fifth (17%) of those surveyed frequently change their mind about purchasing a product after viewing it online.

Consumer values were also explored during the research, including areas of improvement for food and drink manufacturers. Reducing undesirable ingredients in their products (50%), cutting down on packaging (37%) and reducing processing (36%) ranked in the top three.

“This new research shows that transparency and accessibility to product content information is high-priority for consumers,” explains Charlotte Commarmond, Senior Director Marketing and Innovation at Ingredion EMEA. “For food and beverage manufacturers, offering clear, accessible information on what their products contain could be the key to earning consumer trust in their brands while differentiating themselves from competition.

“Our report shows that consumers across EMEA are tech-savvy and are using devices, websites and apps to validate their buying decisions – whether at home, in work or on the spot in-store.

“With rapid advancements and uptake in mobile devices and technology, it’s likely that their use as a key information channel will only grow in future.

“As our industry continues on its clean label journey, enabling easy online access to their products’ information, using simpler ingredients and prioritising health and sustainability will be key ways for food and beverage manufacturers to build trust in the years ahead.”

The full Food that Just Clicks report was launched at Food Ingredients Europe 2017, and you can access further findings and analysis in the full report here. Alternatively, visitemea.ingredion.com.

* The research was carried out by MMR on behalf of Ingredion in September 2017. A total of 800 consumers, 100 from each of the following countries, took part in the survey – Germany, Iran, Kenya, Poland, Russia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.