Beverage Industry logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Beverage Industry logo
  • NEWS
    • R&D News
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Reader's Choice Poll
  • CATEGORIES
    • Alternative Drinks
    • Beer
    • Bottled Water
    • Cannabis Beverages
    • Carbonated Soft Drinks
    • Energy Drinks & Shots
    • Juice & Juice Drinks
    • Plant-Based Beverages
    • Sports Drinks
    • Tea and Coffee
    • Wine & Spirits
  • R&D
    • Beverage R&D Features
    • Ingredient Spotlight
  • PACKAGING
    • New Packages
    • Packaging Equipment
    • Packaging Material
  • OPERATIONS
    • Distribution
    • Plant Focus
  • TOP LISTS
    • Beer Market Report
    • Executive of the Year
    • State of the Beverage Industry
    • Top 100 Beverage Companies
    • Truck Report
    • Wholesaler of the Year
  • MEDIA
    • eBook
    • Podcast
    • Polls
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Annual Manual
    • Contract Packaging Guide
    • Take a Tour
  • MORE
    • Classifieds
    • Channel Strategies
    • eNewsletters
    • Events
      • Membrane Technology Forum
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Market Insights
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archived Issues
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Beverage News

Health awareness could offer opportunities for manufacturers

Nielsen study finds consumers willing to pay premium for products with healthy attributes

news
January 20, 2015

Health-related concerns could translate into an opportunity for manufacturers, according to a new study by New York-based Nielsen.

Nearly half (49 percent) of the global respondents in Nielsen’s Global Health & Wellness Survey consider themselves overweight. Obesity rates around the world are accelerating and not just in developed countries, the market research firm notes. In fact, 62 percent of the world’s 671 million obese individuals live in developing markets, according to the 2013 Global Burden of Disease Study. The study estimated that 2.1 billion people (nearly 30 percent of the global population)were overweight or obese. Nielsen’s study shows that consumers are attempting to take charge of their health, as 50 percent reported they are actively trying to lose weight and 88 percent are willing to pay more for foods with healthy attributes to some degree.

The obesity crisis and consumer desire to become healthier could be a growth driver for manufacturers who better align their offerings to consumer needs and desires for healthier food.Roughly 75 percent of global respondents believe they “are what they eat,” and nearly 80 percent are actively using foods to forestall health issues and medical conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension.

“There is a tremendous opportunity for food manufacturers and retailers to lead a healthy movement by providing the products and services that consumers want and need,” said Susan Dunn, executive vice president of global professional services with Nielsen, in a statement. “While diet fads come and go overtime, innovative, back-to-basics foods that taste good, are easy to prepare and provide healthful benefits will have staying power. The first step is knowing where to put your product development efforts.”

The Nielsen Global Health & Wellness Survey polled 30,000 online respondents in 60 countries to identify how consumers feel about their body image and the steps they’re taking to get healthier.

Dividing global respondents into four buckets of spending intent, the highest percentages are only moderately willing to pay a premium for health claims — an average of 38 percent across 27 attributes included in the study. About one-quarter of global respondents are very willing to pay a premium (27 percent), followed by 23 percent who are slightly willing and 12 percent who are not willing. Although there was not one health attribute that swayed dramatically from these spending intention buckets globally, a few regional differences prevail, Nielsen reports.

A willingness to pay a premium for health benefits is higher in developing markets than elsewhere. More than nine in 10 respondents in Latin America (94 percent), Asia-Pacific (93 percent), and Africa/Middle East (92 percent) say they’re willing to pay more for foods with health attributes to some degree, compared with eight in 10 in Europe (79 percent) and North America (80 percent).

For most attributes, there also is a gap between the percentage of respondents that say a health attribute is very important and the percentage that are very willing to pay a premium. For example, 43 percent of global respondents say the absence of GMOs is very important in the foods they purchase, but only 33 percent are very willing to pay a premium for these products, the report found.

One notable exception is organic foods. Thirty-three percent of respondents say organics are very important, and the same percentage also is very willing to pay a premium for these products, Nielsen reports.

A willingness to pay a premium for health attributes declines with age. Generation Z (consumers younger than 20) and millennials (ages 21-34) are more willing to pay a premium for all attributes, even those that are more important to Generation X (ages 35-49) and baby boomers (ages 50-64). Percentages believing they are very important are lowest among the silent generation (aged 65 and older) for all 27 attributes. Attributes gaining the most favor include products that are GMO free, have no artificial coloring or flavors, and are all natural.

“While age often dictates a need for foods that contain certain health attributes, it is the youngest consumers who are most willing to back up their sentiments with their wallets,” Dunn said. “As millennials’ purchasing power increases, manufacturers and retailers that make the effort to understand and connect with this generation’s needs increase their odds of success.”

The generation gap is particularly pronounced for functional foods that reduce disease risk or promote good health and for socially/environmentally responsible foods. For example, 41 percent of Generation Z and 32 percent of millennial respondents reported being very willing to pay a premium for sustainably sourced ingredients, compared with 21 percent of baby boomer and 16 percent of silent generation respondents, according to the report. Generation Z and millennials also are leaders in the gluten-free movement. Thirsty-seven percent of Generation Z respondents and 31 percent of millennials are very willing to pay a premium for gluten-free products, while only 22 percent of baby boomer and 12 percent of silent generation respondents are willing to do so, Nielsen reports.

KEYWORDS: baby boomers generation X health and wellness millennials

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • top 100 beverage companies

    Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

    For the global beverage market, mergers and acquisitions...
    Carbonated Soft Drinks
  • Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla shakes

    Classic flavors provide reliable, consistent results for beverage-makers

    Classic flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry...
    Ingredient Spotlight
    By: Chloe Alverson
  • Free Spirits Instant Bar Bundle

    Lifestyle trends drive growth for non-alcohol category

    As lifestyle trends continue to drive growth for the...
    Alternative Drinks
    By: Lauren Sabetta
Manage My Account
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Beverage Industry audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Beverage Industry or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Fourpeople toasting with cocktails made with low-sugar ingredients, celebrating healthier drink options.
    Sponsored byCargill

    What’s Hot in Sugar Reduction: Beverages

  • chocolate milk
    Sponsored byCargill

    Sweetening the Future for Dairy and Dairy-Alternative Beverages

  • woman pouring a drink
    Sponsored byFFP

    Building a Beverage System: Meeting Consumer Demand for Precision Wellness

Popular Stories

Celsius Fizz Free

CELSIUS launches new Fizz-Free flavors

PepsiCo.jpg

PepsiCo advances AI agenda

Narragansett Beer 1975 cans

Narragansett Beer celebrates 50 years of ‘Jaws’

Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

Events

April 16, 2025

2025 State of the Industry Series: Alcoholic Beverages

On Demand In Beverage Industry’s annual State of the Industry: The Alcohol Beverage Market, analysts at S&D Insights LLC delve into these trends and how they’re shaping the industry.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Retail Coffee Segment

What retail coffee segments will fare well into the next year?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

See More Products

Related Articles

  • Beverage News graphic

    Healthy beverage sales to gain ground this year

    See More
  • VitaminFizz

    Fortification helps beverage-makers support better-for-you market

    See More
  • Mickey apple juice and Hello Kitty

    Low-calorie, low-sugar attributes boost juice drinks segment

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • nonmilk.jpg

    Milk-Based Beverages 1st Edition

  • bigfood.jpg

    Big Food: Critical perspectives on the global growth of the food and beverage industry

  • nanoinbev.jpg

    Nanoengineering in the Beverage Industry 1st Edition

See More Products
×

Elevate your expertise in the beverage marketplace with unparalleled insights and connections.

Join thousands of beverage professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing