Drivers of consumers’ food purchasing decisions

What influences consumers as they purchase foods and beverages? The answer is easy isn’t it? – They choose products they know taste good from manufacturers they trust, don’t they? Well, not necessarily. The current push to ban the advertising of ‘junk’ food to children leads us to assume that advertising is a prime driver, at least with respect to children’s food choices. However, a recent survey of US consumers found they are nearly as influenced by cost as they are by taste.

In the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation 2011 Food & Health Survey, 79% of respondents said that price affected their purchasing decisions, a proportion only beaten by taste at 87%. (In the 2006 survey, 15% fewer people rated price as a deciding factor).

The other major players in consumer decision making revealed in the survey included healthfulness (66%), convenience (58%) and sustainability (52%). The survey respondents claimed that they would be more likely to make healthful choices when selecting foods if the prices for healthful foods were lower.

“The economy seems to be having a significant effect on what people look for when buying food,” according to Marianne Smith Edge, MS, RD, Senior Vice President of Food Safety and Nutrition at the IFIC Foundation. “While Americans will almost always choose foods that taste good first, they’re certainly looking for affordable, healthful foods as well.”

The IFIC Foundation 2011 Food and Health Survey also found that significantly fewer Americans are concerned about their weight status when compared to last year; 50% of Americans describe themselves as overweight in 2011 compared to 57% in 2010. More Americans perceive their diet as extremely or somewhat healthful (62%) when compared to 2010 (53%). At the same time, fewer report making dietary changes (59% in 2011 compared to 64% in 2010) and more report that their physical activity levels are sedentary (43%) – a significant increase from 2010 (37%). These contradictions are further evidenced by the fact that the number of people trying to lose or maintain weight (69%) has significantly decreased since 2010 (77%).

“This contradiction may indicate that Americans are being less hard on themselves and less critical of their health and wellbeing than in past years, despite an environment in which improved health and wellness is increasingly discussed from the media to government to the dinner table,” according to Carrie Dooher, Director of Trends and Consumer Insights at the IFIC Foundation. “This would be consistent with current trends toward small indulgences and a shift in perception about food in which consumers are seeking to be empowered rather than educated about food, health and food safety practices.”

The IFIC Foundation 2011 Food & Health Survey captured the thoughts, perceptions and behaviours of 1000 American adults over a two-and-a-half-week period in March and April of 2011.

Additional key findings from the International Food Information Council Foundation 2011 Food & Health Survey include:

• No change in sodium concern - Despite significant attention on sodium in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, other sodium-reduction initiatives and media, Americans’ concern about sodium remains stable. A little more than half of Americans (53%) say they are very or somewhat concerned about their sodium intake, equal to last year (53%).
• Trust in the safety of imported foods is low - 61% of Americans believe that imported food is less safe than foods produced in the US, citing less regulation as the top reason. Trust in the safety of the US food supply, however, remains stable; half of Americans are extremely or somewhat confident in the safety of the US food supply, similar to previous years. The top US food safety concern continues to be foodborne illness (50% in 2011).
• Americans’ Food safety practices at home continue to decline - Even though eight in ten Americans report following safe food handling practices, the numbers continue to decline. 79% of Americans say they wash their hands with soap and water when handling food, down from 89% in 2010 and 92% in 2008. Also declining, 71% report washing cutting boards with soap and water, down from 78% in 2010 and 84% in 2008.
• Calorie confusion remains - Only 9% of Americans can accurately estimate the number of calories they should consume in a day for a person of their age, height, weight and physical activity. Additionally, almost half of Americans are unable to provide an estimate of how many calories they burn in a day (60% offer inaccurate estimates). Furthermore, the majority of Americans do not keep track of calories consumed or burned, citing numerous barriers, including extreme difficulty and a lack of interest, knowledge and focus.
• Americans are more receptive to positive food messages - Despite the popularity of some ‘food rules’ which suggest certain foods to avoid, Americans more and more say they would rather hear what to eat (63%) instead of what not to eat. The interest in positive messaging rose 7% since 2009 when the survey last polled Americans on this sentiment.

The IFIC Foundation 2011 Food & Health Survey also covers additional topics such as consumer attitudes and behaviours on protein and other food components, use of the Nutrition Facts Panel and other labelling elements, low-calorie sweeteners, caffeine, fortified foods and foods with added benefits, food colours and food technology.