Special Edition: Powered up and packing nutritional punch
IFIC consumer findings suggest industry could profit by fortifying healthful products
More than 50% of US consumers consider fortified foods more worthwhile than regular foods, according to IFIC’s 2013 functional foods survey, and only one in ten consider such products less worthwhile.
Marianne Smith-Edge, senior vice president of nutrition and food safety at IFIC, said there was therefore a place for fortification but said manufacturers had to consider consumer needs and expectations carefully.
“Consumers are more likely to accept it when they think it’s already healthy or already has healthful benefits – it has a true health halo, I guess,” she told BakeryandSnacks.com.
“…It’s about being judicious and really evaluating what products would be best for fortification. We have to look at what works, but also it’s about being able to look at foods that are also overall well-accepted; already have a good nutrient profile; and are already nutrient-dense.”
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) recently called out industry for adding vitamins and minerals into unhealthy, fatty products.
Cereal, bars and morning foods
Asked what products in the bakery, snack and cereal category were best-placed for fortification, she said morning foods.
“Perhaps it’s what we’re used to - cereal and cereal bars have been a staple for a long time and we know that it’s been a source of fortification for years. It’s a convenient item, it’s accepted, it tastes good and it’s relatively economical. So fortification in these products is just top of mind, routine and considered part of the overall diet,” she said.
Fortification in these morning products would continue to provide opportunity for manufacturers, she said, but products beyond this segment couldn’t be ruled out - "they just have to fit the profile of what consumers expect and accept”.
Natural nutrition versus fortification
Smith-Edge said fortified products appealed most to consumers concerned about not getting enough nutrients and healthful foods.
She said that while regular consumers were happy to seek out naturally-occurring nutrition for themselves, when it came to products for their children, they were tied between choosing naturally occurring or fortified.
IFIC’s 2013 survey showed more than half considered both natural and fortified as a preferred source of nutrition.
“We don’t know exactly why but an educated opinion would be that we know children and definitely older adults have additional nutritional needs. So therefore, if I was a mum shopping for myself I’m not as concerned but I know that foods with fortification can be extremely beneficial for my child.”
For older adults, she said there may also be barriers to getting nutrients naturally like loss of appetite or disease states that made fortified products appealing.
Plugging nutrient shortfalls
Smith-Edge said industry should look to plug nutrient shortfalls in the population. Recommendations from the US 2015 Dietary Guidelines, for example, suggested gaps in vitamin A C, D and E, as well as calcium and iron.
“I think you need to be judicious in looking at what products and food actually may be of benefit to the overall public health…The reality is, when there’s a food source and a nutrient gap we need to ask: ‘do we have an adequate supply?’ and ‘how can we take those foods and fortify them to close the gaps?’ especially for areas of the population like children and older consumers.”
However, she said manufacturers had to be mindful not to “over-fortify” – doing it in a way that improved the overall health of the public.