| Demographics & Lifestyle |
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| A. Changes in Demographics | | |  | Increase in single households or two people households (accounts for 45% of all households). |
| | Increase in the total number of households. |
| | Increasing ageing population. |
| | Increase in net migration. |
| | Increase in labour force and the number of working women. |
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| B. Changes in values and lifestyles |
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| Increase in globalisation and multicultural influences. |
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| Time is the new ‘equity’. Cash rich, time poor. |
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| Underlying desire to rebalance values |
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| Increase in stress, working hours and commercial pressures and commuting times. |
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| Fragmentation within family, less family meals |
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| Increase in eating outside home, dashboard dining, cocooning. |
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| Decrease in time spent in kitchen cooking from scratch. Diminishing culinary skills. |
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| Increased interest in health and nutrition. |
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| As a result of the changing demographics and lifestyles, there are three mega trends in food: |
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| 1. Health |
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Consumers are more interested in what goes into their food (ingredients) and how the food is produced and processed. There is an increased interest in nutrient claims on packs and how certain foods (vegetarian, functional, organic, fresh, low fat) can protect consumers against certain diseases (cancers, heart disease and obesity).
Whilst all consumers seek convenience, many are also looking for healthier options in the convenience ranges. Less processed foods- which are more natural and contain less chemicals, additives, fat, salt, sugar and genetically modified ingredients are growing in demand.
Approximately one person in every household has or will have a special dietary requirement. Over half the population is overweight and heart disease is the biggest killer in the country.
The risk of diabetes is soaring and one third of all cancers are diet related.
Osteoporosis and arthritis are both diet related and affect one in 4 Irish women and one in 7 Irish people respectively.
Allergies (peanut, wheat, milk etc) in children (affecting 5%) and food intolerances (gluten for coeliacs, lactose intolerance etc) are on the increase.
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| 2. Convenience |
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| Convenience relates to the consumer’s changing lifestyles- increased working hours, changing household structures, more microwaves, less cooking from scratch and more working women. |
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| 3. Pleasure |
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| Consumers simply do not buy products that they don’t enjoy, almost irrespective of any health and convenience benefits. Consumers also reward themselves with certain luxury foods and indulge themselves in comfort food to compensate for their busier working lives. Special occasions, celebrations and the sociability of food have a stronger focus in many consumer lives today. |
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Other trends include:
4. Environmental trends
Consumers are also more aware of unnecessary packaging and waste, pollution as a result of intensive or poor farming methods, overuse of pesticide and artificial fertilizers, adverse effects of genetic engineering on the environment.
5. Ethical trends
Consumers are more conscious of child labour and exploited third world populations and retailers margins. There is a growing interest in Fairtrade products among younger shoppers.
Consumers are also nationalistic and interested in supporting Irish producers, growers and manufacturers and expect retailers to source Irish produce in season and where available.
6. Product Information trends
Food labelling is the key source of information by which the consumer can determine which food to buy by reference to value for money, composition, nutritional content, and in some cases the method by which the foodstuff was produced/processed. It also allows consumers who wish to avoid certain foods, whether for health, ethical or environmental reasons, to make an informed choice.
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| Our Biggest Nutrition Trend and Challenge |
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Over half the adult population is overweight and one in eight is obese.
The concerns are numerous – the lack of nutrition and health education at primary level, the lack of school sports grounds and time spent in physical activity and the failure to pursue walking and cycling schemes to promote healthier lifestyles. To compound it all, parents are expressing concern over the cynical exploitation of pester power in TV advertising to children.
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| Functional Foods |
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As more and more functional foods are developed and become available it is important to assess each individual food on its own merits. In particular, it is necessary that good scientific evidence exists to support the claims being made. This should include evidence that the substance is absorbed or reaches its site of action; that consumption of the food has a beneficial influence on a physiological function and that this effect has an impact on health.
The level of consumption of the food that is required to achieve the beneficial effect is also a consideration. It should be possible to achieve the required level of intake of the food within a normal diet. The food should also be likely to be eaten by the people needing the benefit.
Functional foods should not be seen as magic answers to unhealthy diets and lifestyles. They can only be effective in the context of a healthy balanced diet.
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