Mary Ellen Kuhn

Mary Ellen Kuhn

Getting consumers to make healthier food choices is all about winning their trust. It’s not about showing them everything they’re currently doing wrong or the mistaken ideas they have.

Roxi BeckThat was the message from Roxi Beck, consumer engagement director for The Center for Food Integrity and a presenter at IFT’s “Time to Kick Start Healthy Eating” virtual meeting. A series of sessions at the meeting explored strategies for better communicating the healthy eating messages of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

“People put their food choices through a personal lens,” and health and food system professionals need to understand that before leaping in with dietary recommendations, Beck counseled. That individual lens might include anything from food allergies to lifestyles to personal value systems, she explained. “We have to understand that our job is not to persuade people out of their deep-seated convictions,” Beck said.

When communicating diet and health messages, “the first thing [we need to do] is we need to listen without judgment,” said Beck. That means asking questions in order to better understand where a consumer is coming from. Food and health professionals should share information only after listening carefully to the consumer, Beck emphasized.

“When you do share, it’s critical that you share who you are, why you care about this topic,” she continued. “If you don’t start with that, we’ll fail to resonate.” Theodore Roosevelt had it right, said Beck, citing a quoted attributed to him: “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Beck’s recommendations are based on a Center for Food Integrity research analysis on trust building. That research identified two kinds of information: that which showcases competence and that which instills confidence (because it is based on shared values).

“These two kinds of information are not created equal,” said Beck, noting that the confidence-instilling information is three to five times more important to consumers than the information based on competence.

Consumers do value scientific information, according to Beck, but it must be presented in a way that resonates. For health and diet messages, “go easy on the facts,” she counseled, adding that “if you try to pack in all the data, it’s overkill.”

A Center for Food Integrity survey found that when asked if they wanted to know more about food processing, 63% of survey respondents said they did. “They’re curious, they’re interested,” said Beck. “There’s skepticism, there’s concern, but there’s interest. There’s opportunity in that.”

IFT collaborated with the Department of Food Science of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, on the “Time to Kick Start Healthy Eating” virtual meeting, which was partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

About the Author

Mary Ellen Kuhn is executive editor of Food Technology magazine ([email protected]).
Mary Ellen Kuhn

Digital Exclusives right arrow

The Missing Ingredient in FDA's Proposed Rule

Dietitian Linn Steward suggests that that the FDA’s healthy labeling guidance is too restrictive and does not serve consumers well.

2023 Foodservice: Food & Flavor Trends

Foodservice innovation drivers in 2023 include health and wellness, nostalgia, sustainability, and a desire for adventure.

Healthy Growth for Hybrid Beverages

Creative crossovers are reinvigorating traditional beverage category segments and inspiring new product categories.

A Higher Bar for Artisan Chocolate

Single-origin cacao beans, innovative inclusions, and more sophisticated connoisseurship characterize today’s craft chocolate market.

Food Technology Articles right arrow

Dark Leafy Greens and Cognition, Remembering Al Clausi

A collection of news items around the food industry and food research.

Fortified Extruded Rice Fights Hidden Hunger

Fortifying broken rice kernels produced via hot extrusion produced nutritional status improvements among teenage girls in a test in Indonesia.

Dietitians Weigh In

An infographic describing dietitians’ predictions for 2023.

Cool Tips on Freeze/Thaw

This column provides five best practices when addressing freeze/thaw issues during holding and transportation of refrigerated and frozen foods.

Joan Rosen on Audits and Traceability

In this interview, produce safety expert Joan Rosen shares practical insights on the workings of the independent audit and how traceability can enhance its outcome.

Recent Brain Food right arrow

A New Day at the FDA

IFT weighs in on the agency’s future in the wake of the Reagan-Udall Report and FDA Commissioner Califf’s response.

Members Say IFT Offers Everything You Need to Prepare for an Uncertain Future

Learn how IFT boosts connections, efficiencies, and inspiration for its members.

More on the FDA's Food Traceability Final Rule

In a new white paper, our experts examine the FDA’s Food Traceability Final Rule implications—and its novel concepts first proposed by IFT.