Global Healthy Eating Trends

With overweight and obesity numbers up, policy makers and consumers are looking for ways to trim waistlines and improve overall health. Food safety and health are linked in the minds of consumers, particularly in China where instances of sales of adulterated and poisoned food have risen over the past several years. And last in this brief roundup of healthy eating trends is a report pointing out how bread manufacturers are using various health claims to differentiate their products.

• Focus on lowering obesity numbers. With 1.46 billion adults (one in three) in the world obese or overweight (904 million of these adults are in developing nations), concern arises over the implications that this will have on healthcare, agriculture, and food prices, according to the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). These numbers have increased steadily since 1980, when 23% of the global population of adults was obese or overweight (in 2008 it was 34%). The increase in numbers can be due, in part, to slow efforts by public leaders to address the issue over time, or as the ODI puts it, “politicians’ reluctance to interfere at the dinner table, the powerful influence of farming and food lobbies, and a large gap in public awareness of what constitutes a healthy diet.” 

This is not to say that nothing is being done by public leaders and policy makers. In its report, Future Diets, the organization points out several examples of public policy initiatives that have had positive effects on changing diets. A joint publicity, social marketing, and education campaign, part of which included training in the preparation of traditional low-fat, high-vegetable meals, helped to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in South Korea. Danish laws ban the use of trans fatty acids in food manufacturing. Still, the overall assessment by the ODI is that both leaders and the public have to take action needed to influence future diets for the better, and a combination of measures that address education, food prices, and regulations may be the best approach to achieve the most lasting results in changing dietary habits for the better. 

• Food safety important to Asians. Half of Chinese respondents to a survey conducted by market research firm Mintel report that they are most concerned about the safety of food products, and consumers in South Korea and Japan say that they are more cautious about food safety when shopping. The consumers in these Asian countries also report that they are paying more attention to product packaging and information like country of origin, ingredient statements, calorie count, and nutritional aspects. 

• Healthy living through elimination. Consumers in developed nations tend to cut out various foods such as those that contain gluten or lactose from their diets rather than reducing portion size when trying to eat healthfully or lose weight, something that is not as prevalent among consumers in emerging markets, reports Euromonitor International. Following a vegetarian or vegan diet and taking vitamins or supplements are popular eating trends for consumers in both developed and emerging nations. As far as ingredients that have more healthful attributes are concerned, the market research firm notes that botanicals, minerals, and vitamins are the top three ingredients with growth potential. Turkey and Russia are two markets where the fastest growth is expected, according to the company. 

• Health claims focus on nutritious image. Many consumers rely on health claims made by manufacturers on food packages when looking for products that suit their health, nutritional, or lifestyle needs. The bread category is one that sees promotion like this. Bread products that use some type of health claim represented more than 42% of the total number of global bread product launches in 2013, according to Innova Market Insights. 

The company categorizes health claims and positionings into passive types such as low and light, organic, and gluten-free, and active types, which involve the addition of ingredients or the promotion of specific health benefits. The use of passive claims on bread products is much more popular among food  manufacturers, with more than 40% of global bread product launches featuring passive claims in 2013 compared to 5% using active claims. Claims related to naturalness were the most popular, with one-fifth of launches in 2013 highlighting one or more of the following: naturalness, additive- or preservative-free formulation, or organic. Other popular claims noted by Innova were high in/source of fiber claims or wholegrain positioning. Active claims like vitamin and mineral fortification and omega-3/DHA fortification and heart health were low, with numbers representing less than 2% for each claim. 

Karen Nachay,
Senior Associate Editor
[email protected]