Consuming better, differently: towards healthier, local and responsible food
According to the SIAL Insights white paper published by SIAL Paris, consumers are redefining their priorities: eating better, understanding what they are consuming better, and reducing their impact.
Today, 74% of consumers believe that their diet can be harmful to their health. In France, this concern has jumped by +7 points, reaching 72%. In response, 72% favour minimally or unprocessed products, 53% choose local and seasonal foods, and 44% read labels more closely (+7 pts). The need for transparency is clear: 58% now conduct their own research into production methods.
Despite this, confidence in labels remains moderate: only 1 in 3 consumers feel reassured by the information on packaging, and 1 in 5 trust nutritional scores.
The desire to eat well outweighs budgetary constraints: 65% of those surveyed are willing to pay more for healthier products – although this figure drops to 49% in France. Interest in organic products is growing (66%, +5 pts), but price remains an obstacle for 67% of consumers, and only 25% associate organic with quality (15% in France).
This trend is also confirmed in restaurants: 4 out of 10 French people favour the healthiest options. In Europe, 39% look for simple and clear menus, and 36% attach importance to the local origin of ingredients.
Purchasing power and creativity: agile arbitrage
Inflation, which reached +20% on mass-market products in France between 2022 and 2023, is pushing consumers to reinvent their habits. All profiles are adapting: 73% of modest households and 46% of affluent households report having reduced their purchases.
Meat is a prime example: 61% consider it too expensive (67% in France). Flexitarianism is gaining ground: 44% of consumers worldwide say they have reduced their meat consumption (+3 pts). At the same time, 58% of Europeans expect restaurants to offer dishes adapted to their specific diets.
Despite a difficult context, some categories are performing well. Energy drinks are up +9.1% in volume, bucking the general trend (–3.1%). Other everyday products are proving to be ‘smart’ choices: compotes with no added sugar, free-range eggs and fair trade milk meet the dual expectations of health and accessibility.
Consumers committed to a sustainable future
Ecological and ethical motivations are clearly on the rise. 40% of consumers say they have radically changed their consumption habits for these reasons. 58% see it as a way of expressing their convictions, 54% actively seek out committed brands, and 53% have already refused a product for environmental or social reasons.
Expectations are centred around several priorities: 19% want refillable packaging, 18% want less plastic, and 59% favour fair trade products. 54% say they are willing to invest their time or money in companies with a positive impact.
Environmental criteria are gaining in importance: +5 points on reducing the carbon footprint, +3 points for recyclable packaging, and +6 points for better consideration of issues related to meat production.
Finally, 71% of consumers prioritise local produce, and 53% cite buying seasonal or locally sourced produce as the main lever for change. Buying directly from producers is also on the increase, up to 19% (+4 points).
Food is becoming a field of expression for informed choices, more consistent with current issues. Eating well, with full knowledge of the facts, while respecting one’s budget and convictions: this is the challenge taken up every day by increasingly informed consumers.
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Credit Image: Dose Juice – Unsplash
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