How Health Conscious Consumers Are Changing Food Manufacturing

Although organic foods, athletic supplements, keto diet plans and vegan/vegetarian products have been around for decades, the Internet generation has pushed these categories of food products off the fringe and into the mainstream. As communication tools, the Internet and social media have allowed health-conscious consumers to share their value systems on a global scale. With access to more information than ever, individuals are educating themselves on the environmental impact of food production, and discovering how other cultures farm, eat and manufacture food. This kind of knowledge has never been so readily available and is empowering younger generations to make more informed choices about their diets. In response, food innovators like Redox Developments are working with manufacturers to expand product categories and modify existing products using healthier ingredients. As a result, manufacturers are able to expand established brands into additional food categories by offering organic, plant-based, and gluten-free variants.

Many of these healthier product variants include natural ingredients and superfoods to replace artificial additives, sweeteners and preservatives catering to the growing demand for convenient and healthier food options.

As ingredients, superfoods have enormous versatility. Not only are superfoods known for their nutrient density and health supporting properties, but they can also help manufacturers reduce production time, lower costs, customize recipes, and enhance product durability. ​

Producers are also finding superfoods to be beneficial to their marketing efforts. As educated consumers seek out natural ingredients with healthy benefits, producers have been able to adjust marketing campaigns to highlight the impact of unique and exotic superfoods in their products:

• Healthy and sustainable energy

• Rich source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, and healthy fats

• Boost metabolism

• Supports recovery after physical activity

• Exotic superfoods with unique benefits such as chicory root fiber, brown rice syrup, and cane juice

• Reduced inflammation

• No sugar spikes or crashes

The number of health claims associated with superfoods is significant and possibly overwhelming. However, talented story-tellers have been able to incorporate superfood benefits into their product marketing in such a way that educated consumers feel they are being heard and catered to.

Food manufacturers are also taking cues from Governments to often go above and beyond legislated labeling policies and offer consumers as much transparency as possible. Where emphasis was once heavily placed on certifications such as “organic”, “gluten-free”, “kosher”, or “vegan”, some modern producers are now going so far as to voluntarily add carbon labeling to packaging. Such new levels of transparency demonstrate that producers have effectively made product labeling a marketing tool to communicate worldview and value systems.

The shift towards healthier foods using nutrient-dense ingredients and superfoods in snacks and nutrition bars is a reflection of the growing interest in environmentalism, food sustainability, and functional food. Consumers are becoming more sophisticated and demanding more than just foods that taste good and support their wellness goals. In response, manufacturers must continue developing new processing techniques, exploring novel ingredients, improving the nutritional profile of their products and demonstrating their commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.