MINTEL STUDY REVEALS ADOLESCENTS’
EATING HABITS BETTER THAN EXPECTED
Kids’ and teens’ food perceptions and actual eating habits may not be as dire as many adults thought, according to a new study by Mintel.
Mintel found that two in five (42 percent) kids and teens reach for foods that give them more energy. And over a third (35 percent) purposefully eat foods that are rich in vitamins and nutrients. Additionally, approximately a quarter try to eat foods that are low in fat while 22 percent look for low-in-sugar foods.
Mintel also found two-thirds (65 percent) of kids and teens say they eat dinner at home at least five times a week and 33 percent do so daily. Chris Haack, senior analyst at Mintel, notes that better eating often starts at home where parents can shape food preferences and habits.
According to the study, only 13 percent of youngsters sit with the family for fewer than three dinners per week. “The perception that today’s youth constantly eats alone, on-the-go and out of the home is simply wrong,” states Haack.
Mintel’s research also confirms that teens are especially receptive to healthy eating messages. When asked about their attitudes toward food, 66 percent of teens said they believed “eating gives you energy/vitality,” while 61 percent said “it’s important to eat a balanced diet.”
“Companies need to find ways to reinvent home-based meals and energize healthy snacking so today’s youth can see the benefits of better nutrition and take action,” said Haack.
STUDY SHOWS COLORS AND FLAVORS
DRIVING BEVERAGES
The intensity of color and flavor are the key drivers behind consumer acceptance of beverages, revealed a new study involving Danone.
Packaging and labeling are not as important for winning over consumers according to findings published in the journal Food Quality and Preference.
By choosing to formulate a new beverage, the researchers noted that the new product would need to be differentiated by improving the sensory characteristics.
Four factors were identified for the formulation: four color intensities, three flavorings, two label types (soft versus hard) and two pack sizes (standard versus oversize).
The researchers used both quantitative (hedonic testing) and qualitative (focus groups) approaches and found that “the main factors which drive consumer preference for this concept are color intensity and flavoring.” Package size and label type are taken into account by the consumer to a lesser extent, they noted.
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13700 U.S. Highway 1, #104
Juno Beach, FL 33408
Phone: (561) 744-8808
Fax: (561) 744-8807
Website: www.puresourceoils.com
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Contact: Bill Palagonia, President
Products: essential oils, aroma chemicals
NAFFS CALENDAR
Be sure to save these dates when filling in your calendars:
February 6, 2009 - NAFFS Winter Meeting, The French Culinary Institute, N.Y., N.Y.
