Food In Canada

Research finds more consumers globally are weighing sustainability claims on packaged food choices

By Food in Canada staff   

Sustainability Grain & Oilseed Milling Cargill Edible oils Editor pick market research packaging


Sustainability considerations now influence the majority of the world’s grocery shoppers when buying packaged foods such as potato chips and cookies, according to Cargill’s recent global Fatitudes survey. The proprietary research finds 55 per cent of consumers indicate they’re more likely to purchase a packaged food item if it includes a sustainability claim, a four-point jump since the company last fielded this research in 2019.

“Our latest findings clearly demonstrate that messages surrounding sustainability are having an impact on consumers,” said Nese Tagma, managing director of strategy and innovation for Cargill’s global edible oils business. “Insights like these help guide our consumer-focused approach to innovation, enabling us to partner with customers to co-create new products and solutions that reflect current consumer trends and ingredient preferences.”

Cargill’s global Fatitudes survey is pivotal to these efforts as it provides a window into consumers’ awareness, perceptions and behaviours around the fats and oils found in packaged food. The latest global survey, conducted in summer 2021, included approximately 6,000 primary grocery shoppers in 11 countries.

For the first time, the survey also asked consumers what type of sustainability claim they were looking for. “Sustainably sourced” and “conservation of natural resources” topped the list, ranking well ahead of more specific claims such as Fair Trade, reduced packaging and fair/living wages in most every country included in the survey.

Advertisement

“These insights further affirm our commitment to embed sustainable practices into every aspect of our operations,” said Florian Schattenmann, chief technology officer and vice president of innovation and R&D for Cargill. “This includes everything from our sourcing practices to processing facilities, and even extends to new product development, where decisions to commercialize innovations now consider sustainability alongside performance and cost.”


Print this page

Advertisement

Stories continue below