ADDITIVE COLORS, PRESERVATIVES AND SWEETENERS
ARE AT THE TOP OF CONSUMERS’ BLACK LIST
Global GNT study shows how ingredients influence buying
behavior
Tainted cooking oil in Asia, the horsemeat scandal in Europe or artificial colors that are under
suspicion of causing hyperactivity in children – the flow of negative headlines relating to the
food industry unsettles many people all over the world and leads them to scrutinize more
closely what they put on their plate. In fact, certain ingredients highly affect the purchase
decision of many consumers. For a large number of people all around the world additives
especially are of concern. At the top of their black list are preservatives as well as artificial
colorants and sweeteners. 60 percent of all consumers worldwide avoid these ingredients
when choosing food and drink products. This is the result of a recent global consumer study
conducted by market research institute TNS on behalf of the GNT Group, leading global
provider of fruit and vegetable juice for color.
According to the TNS data, additives influence consumers most strongly when shopping for
groceries. A low fat content is important for 53 percent of consumers, whereas 51 percent
look out for products with low sugar. Other product characteristics like organic product
qualities or fair trade are an issue for only 46 and 38 percent respectively. “The survey
clearly shows that consumers worldwide explicitly examine the ingredients of food and
beverages and factor them into their purchase decision”, says Dr. Hendrik Hoeck, Managing
Director of GNT Group. “Food manufacturers should take this into account when developing
products.”
Confectionery, dairy, beverages: the evaluation of different food categories
Apart from these general findings, the GNT study also takes a closer look at different product
categories. It demonstrates that the role ingredients play in the evaluation of food and
beverages is dependent on the particular product. Four categories have received special
attention: soft drinks, sweets, yoghurt and ice cream. The results reveal: yoghurt is the food
category perceived as most natural. Two thirds of all respondents refuse additives in
yoghurts and wish for it to only contain natural ingredients. If these needs are not met,
consumer trust can be affected.
However, with sweets and soft drinks, consumers assume – but don’t approve of – the use of
artificial ingredients more often: more than half of the respondents think that these products
usually contain synthetic additives. Nevertheless, more than one person in three would buy
sweets, lemonade, ice cream and the like more frequently if they were made with natural
ingredients only. “Certain products, like yoghurt, have to meet particularly high requirements
today. For these products, natural ingredients like color solutions made exclusively from fruit,
vegetables and edible plants by using gentle physical methods are the ideal solution. At the
same time, natural ingredients can offer true advantages in product categories that are
generally perceived as more artificial: they help manufacturers to stand out and create an
additional incentive for today’s increasingly nutrition-conscious consumers”, says Dr. Hendrik
Hoeck.
About the study
The GNT Group has commissioned the market research institute TNS to conduct a comprehensive
global consumer study using a two-step method to ask 5,000 consumers about their nutritional and
purchasing behavior. Thereby, GNT is able to provide unique insights into consumers’ changing
interests and the ongoing trend towards more natural goodness in foods and beverages. This
information is crucial for food manufacturers in order to be able to develop and offer products that will
meet consumers’ requirements in the future as well. In the first, qualitative phase, the attitudes of 175
consumers from seven different countries in America, Asia, and Europe were explored in an online
platform. This preliminary survey was used as a basis for the questionnaire in the second, quantitative
phase of the study. Here, in December 2014, 5,000 people aged between 18 and 70 were surveyed in
ten different countries worldwide: in Brazil, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Poland, Spain,
Thailand, the United Kingdom and the USA. For further information on the study, please visit the press
room of GNT.
About GNT
GNT (www.gnt-group.com) is the leading global manufacturer of cutting edge food and beverage
ingredients made exclusively from fruits, vegetables and edible plants. With a focus on natural color
®
solutions, with their EXBERRY line of natural color products, GNT stands as the industry authority,
providing innovative color solutions to the world’s most demanded food and beverage brands.
Founded in 1978, GNT has always remained an independent, family run company. This independence
has resulted in a long-term focus in three key areas: growing high quality raw materials, continuous
optimization of physical processing technology and application know-how. A devotion to providing
customers with high quality ingredients and solutions has always been GNT’s driving force. With this in
mind, GNT continues to offer innovative and versatile solutions that are so crucial to the rapidly
developing global food and beverage industry. Today, GNT has global reach with multiple locations
operating in Europe, North & South America and Asia while delivering natural color solutions to over
1000 food and beverage companies, including seven of the ten biggest food companies in the world.
Press Contacts
GNT International B.V.
Head of Group Marketing
Guido de Jager
Industrieweg 26
5731 HR Mierlo / The Netherlands
Phone: +31 40 7800450
[email protected]
Klenk & Hoursch AG
Corporate & Brand Communications
Susanne Lanzmich
Walther-von-Cronberg-Platz 2
60594 Frankfurt am Main / Germany
Phone: +49 69 719168-164
[email protected]