Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Targets - This report examines consumer attitudes and behaviors towards increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. It assesses the impact of national campaigns encouraging additional consumption, including implications for the

Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Targets - This report examines consumer attitudes and behaviors towards increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. It assesses the impact of national campaigns encouraging additional consumption, including implications for the

Introduction

Encouraging consumers to increase their intake of fruit and vegetables is a worldwide issue. The benefits of meeting fruit and vegetable targets, which typically vary on a national basis, are becoming more apparent to nutrition conscious shoppers who are adjusting their eating habits accordingly. This report identifies the implications for both produce and packaged goods' players.

Scope

Detailed insights and analysis documenting the drivers and inhibitors of fruit and vegetable consumption Country level data covering Europe, the US, Australia and New Zealand. This is segmented by fresh, frozen and canned formats Analysis documenting the relative importance consumers place on fruit and vegetable consumption and how this varies by socio-demographics Strategic conclusions combined with actionable recommendations for all industry players

Highlights

49% of European and US consumers believe that eating fresh food and drinks is a 'very important' dietary approach. This ranges from a high of 51% in the UK to a low of 36% in Sweden. Datamonitor research and other important studies indicate that a high importance is being placed on consuming fresh products as part of a broader emphasis on health In an ideal world, people would embrace a balanced diet with adequate quantities of fruit and vegetables. Despite a heightened focus and high general focus being placed on fruit and vegetable consumption, many consumers' diets are still deficient of recommended intake. This creates a strong market opportunity for functional/ enhanced products The growth of 'superfruits' has helped to bring the consumption of fruits and vegetables back into shoppers' consciousness. That said, there is a risk that the growth of such products has undermined the appeal of more established/standard fruit and vegetables, especially in countries where the superfruit phenomenon has been more established

Reasons to Purchase

Obtain a detailed understanding of consumer attitudes and behaviors towards increasing fruit and vegetable consumption Find inspiration for innovative formulations and product positioning which takes advantage of consumers' evolving preferences Access a blend of quantitative and qualitative data illustrating consumer attitudes, actual consumption and best-practice marketing across the globe.

Overview 1
Catalyst 1
Summary 1
Table of Contents 2
Table of figures 3
Table of tables 4
THE FUTURE DECODED 5
INTRODUCTION: Fruit and vegetable consumption worldwide is changing for many reasons 5
TREND: Consumers are making greater efforts to eat more fresh food and meet their fruit and vegetable targets 6
Surveys show that a high importance is being placed on consuming fresh products as part of a broader emphasis on health 6
The volume and value of fruit and vegetable consumption is increasing in many countries across Europe, North America and Asia 10
Canned and frozen fruit and vegetables are also showing signs of growth 13
Fruit-based beverages are proving a popular choice for consumers, though this is less true of vegetable juices 16
Despite a heightened focus and high general focus being placed on fruit and vegetable consumption, many consumers' diets are still deficient of recommended intake 18
Studies also show that children lack micro nutrients from fruit and vegetables 18
Key take outs and implications: consumers are ultimately receptive to fruit and vegetable quotas, but need additional benefits to further increase consumption 19
INSIGHT: Increasing information from government and health association sources is driving fruit and vegetable consumption 20
Government-driven initiatives are focusing on providing an achievable quota to encourage consumption 20
The mass media have an increasing tendency to report potential health benefits of fruits and vegetables 21
The internet is a rapidly-expanding source of nutritional information 22
Health centers and GPs are regarded by consumers as a trustworthy source of advice about healthy consumption 23
Scientific research into new health benefits of fruit and vegetables is attractive to all key demographics 23
Key take outs and implications: consumers receive information from a plethora of sources, but they are increasingly looking for trustworthy messages surrounding health 24
INSIGHT: Rising vegetarianism makes fresh fruit and vegetables an increasingly large factor in contemporary diets 25
The percentage of population of vegetarians is significant in all countries due to both health and ethical factors 25
Key take outs and implications: vegetarians are an extremely important consumer group for fruit and vegetable retailers 26
INSIGHT: Consumers have more choice in the form of fruit and vegetable consumption, but less choice in where they are purchased 26
More products with marked 'target' portions are available, especially in the juice and smoothie markets 26
The idea of 'daily dosing' is beginning to gain appeal 27
'Superfruits' are a phenomenon that have excited consumers 28
'Food deserts' are excluding certain demographics from essential foods 32
Barriers to entry are forcing smaller retailers to concede market share to supermarkets 33
Key take outs and implications: consumers are looking for convenient and easy ways to boost their consumption on a daily basis 34
INSIGHT: Socio-demographic variances in fruit & vegetable consumption 35
Women place more importance on the consumption of fruit and vegetables than men and are more likely to make efforts to adjust their habits accordingly 35
The evidence surrounding the impact of age on fruit and vegetable consumption and attitudes is more variable 36
Social class/income and education also affects fruit and vegetable attitudes and behavior 37
The influence of parents is critical in the long-term fruit and vegetable consumption habits of their children 38
Key take outs and implications: there are clearly-identifiable trends when assessing fruit and vegetable consumption across a number of key demographics 39
INSIGHT: False assumptions about the nutritional value of foods are preventing consumers from fulfilling fruit and vegetable quotas 40
US consumers believe that frozen vegetables are not as nutritious as fresh ones 40
Children are assuming that the expressions 'diet' and 'fat-free' are synonymous with high nutritional value 40
Consumers are currently overly optimistic about the nutritional value of superfoods 41
Consumers suffer from an overall 'optimistic bias' regarding their own diets 41
Key take outs and implications: consumers do not fully understand all aspects of consumption and personal health 42
ACTION POINTS 43
ACTION: Look for opportunities to develop 'daily dosing' products that make consuming these ingredients easier 43
Look for opportunities to add fruit or vegetable content to existing and newly developed brands 45
ACTION: Seek to dispel myths about the relative health benefits of products 46
Dispelling myths about frozen, packaged fruit and vegetables remains an ongoing necessity 46
Emphasize that convenience food and beverage solutions can also be nutritious 47
Encourage consumers to substitute supplement usage for a more natural, safer and sensual alternative 47
ACTION: Investigate ways to provide access to fruit and vegetable for consumers in 'food deserts' 48
Developing better packaging techniques such as 'MAP' increase shelf life and make stocking fruit and vegetables more appealing to small retailers 48
Increasing the scope of home delivery will help make fruit and vegetables more accessible to more people 49
APPENDIX 51
Definitions 51
Methodology 51
Further reading and references 52
Industry and news sources 52
Datamonitor reports 53
Academic sources 54
Ask the analyst 55
Datamonitor consulting 55
Disclaimer 55
List of Tables
Table 1: Consumer responses to various suggestions on how to improve a healthy diet, ranked by average 8
Table 2: Market volume of fresh fruit (kg millions), by country, 2002-2012 11
Table 3: Market value of fresh fruit (US $ millions), by country, 2002-2012 12
Table 4: Market volume of fresh vegetables (kg millions), by country, 2002-2012 12
Table 5: Market value of fresh vegetables (US $ millions), by country, 2002-2012 13
Table 6: Market value of frozen fruit and vegetables (US $ millions), by country 2002-2012 15
Table 7: Market value of canned fruit and vegetables (US $ millions), by country 2002-2012 15
Table 8: Market value of fruit juices and smoothies (US $ millions), by country, 2002-2012 17
Table 9: Market value of vegetable juice (US $ millions), by country, 2002-2012 17
Table 10: National initiatives to outline fruit and vegetable consumption by quotas, by country 20
Table 11: Vegetarian inhabitants (million), by country 25
Table 12: List of definitions of terms used in this report 51
List of Figures
Figure 1: There are key drivers and inhibitors affecting fruit and vegetable consumption 5
Figure 2: More fresh content is being incorporated into diets while processed options are being rejected in Europe and the US 7
Figure 3: Consuming fresh food and drink ranks highly among Americans as a contributing factor towards maintaining a healthy diet 8
Figure 4: The internet offers a wealth of information on fruit and vegetables, from nutritional facts to recipes 22
Figure 5: Consumers are actively seeking products that are both convenient AND healthy 27
Figure 6: Superfruits are helping to drive product introductions in the packaged food and beverage market 30
Figure 7: Consuming fresh food and drink ranks highly among Americans as a contributing factor towards maintaining a healthy diet 31
Figure 8: Supermarket ranges incorporating fruits and vegetables are increasing in popularity 33
Figure 9: Socio-demographic differences are apparent in those respondents who thought that consumption of fresh food and drink was "very important" in contributing towards a healthy diet 37
Figure 10: Convenient food that advertises health benefits is especially attractive to consumers 45
Figure 11: The concept of 'Steamfresh' has made frozen vegetables a more attractive proposition 46
Figure 12: Fast food which contains significant health benefits is becoming more prevalent 47
Figure 13: MAP, SmartFresh and the Newell Rubbermaid Produce Saver are all effective in keeping fruit and vegetable produce fresh 49
Figure 14: Home delivery websites allow consumers to have a convenient source of fresh fruit and vegetables 50