5 traits global consumers want to know about food

Trends that originated in Europe and the US are going global, and food producers should take notice or risk being left behind.

Consumers around the world are demanding to know more, and feel better about, the origin of their foods.

In November 2016, Alejandro Romero, general director of Mexican agricultural consulting group Zoo Inc., spoke about how emerging consumer trends will shape the future of the Latin American poultry industry. Romero spoke as part of the XXIV Poultry Farming Summit of Central America and the Caribbean in La Antigua, Guatemala.

Trends that originated with consumers in Europe and the United States are now spreading to around the world. Romero said poultry companies must be aware of the changing trends and adjust their behavior to ensure long term relevance with the consumer of the future. Worldwide poultry producers are being challenged by growing demand for reduced use of antibiotics and better animal welfare. At the same time, they are tasked with playing a key role in feeding the ever-growing global population’s demand for animal protein.

Romero identified five key traits consumers want to see in their food that poultry companies need to know about to stay relevant in the future. In their general purchasing habits, consumers value the best quality and a product that reflects commitment to the environment's health. They are worried about the authenticity of their food; its origin and how it’s processed; its environmental sustainability; and its effects on their health.

Alejandro Romero, general director of Mexican agricultural consulting group Zoo Inc., speaks at the XXIV Poultry Farming Summit of Central America and the Caribbean in La Antigua, Guatemala. Photo by Austin Alonzo.

1. Origin

Consumers love back stories, and because of generations of urbanization, they are curious about the story of where their food comes from. Romero joked that if a child from Europe was asked where eggs come from, they would say the refrigerator.

The industry is hesitant to let people visit farms, however, due to biosecurity concerns. This is especially heightened as avian influenza outbreaks appeared on three continents at the beginning of 2017. Nevertheless, Romero said the farmers themselves need to open up and share their stories and try to educate the consumer. No one can represent the industry better than the industry itself.

2. Locality

Local food is going worldwide, too. Romero said people want to eat food produced in their country or region because they want to support their local industries. Furthermore, they perceive the product as being fresher and higher-quality than products that come from further away.

He suggested that companies take pride in where they come from and use it to promote their products in markets near the point of origin. This is especially true in Latin America, where importation of meat and eggs from other countries is common.

3. Multisensorial experience

In order to differentiate between competitors, companies need to think about how their product appeals to all five senses. Romero pointed to McDonalds restaurants and said all around Latin America the restaurant smells exactly the same. This is not an accident, he said, instead it reflects the science of olfactory stimulus and memory association. Without knowing it, the consumer is told to expect the same positive experience here as at any other location around the world.

Companies cannot put a smell on their food packaging, but they should consider updating labeling and packaging to show how the product being offered can stimulate all of the senses. A multisensorial experience is a potential differentiator in an increasingly crowded market.

4. Right here, right now

Consumers are also pressed for time, Romero said, but they generally don’t want to eat a lower-quality product just because it’s quicker to prepare. Consumers want to make quick decisions in the store, too, so food companies need to respond by emphasizing that the product is ready to eat – or that it can be prepared quickly – or by developing new quick preparation products.

Romero pointed to cooked, pealed eggs an example of a new way to successfully market an existing product as a ready-to-eat, healthy food. Packaged, ready-to-eat eggs can be marketed as both a healthier alternative to competing grab-and-go products and a ready ingredient for people who don’t want to spend the time boiling and peeling eggs.

5. Good feelings

While a feeling is more nebulous than any ingredient or packaging claim, Romero said consumers want to feel good about what they eat. People take what they eat seriously and can take a great amount of pride in what they are eating.

But, what makes consumers feel good about their food? The answer depends on factors like age, income and life experience. For some, feeling good means knowing that the food is healthy, natural, or produced without certain undesirable ingredients. For others, it means knowing that the food is sustainably produced or that it respects animal welfare. Some consumers even feel good about eating food produced by certain brands they associate with a quality product.

Food companies need to recognize what it is that makes their consumers feel good, or what about their product people should feel good about, and aggressively market it, he said. Companies cannot forget about changing demographics, however, and they need to consider how a message will appeal to certain age groups. For example, a message or package aimed at millennials – who already represent a third of global consumers – may not work for Baby Boomers or Generation X.

As an example, Romero showed a slide of cartons of nutritionally eggs wrapped with a label that said “healthy pack.” The eggs are just eggs, he said, but the packaging emphasized the benefits of each nutritionally enhanced egg for every member of the family. That’s one way to ensure consumers can take pride about what they are eating without changing the product.

Austin Alonzo is a reporter at WATT Global Media