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Unilever World Menu Report indicates consumers have overwhelming need for more health information when dining out
March 18, 2011
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The Unilever Food Solutions World Menu Report measures consumer attitudes and behaviours toward eating out.
The first issue of the report, What’s in Your Food?, focuses on health and nutrition, an important global issue that’s impacting everything from the sourcing and nutritional value of ingredients used in foodservice kitchens to the transparency of information shared with consumers. The report explores how much, if any, nutritional information is already on menus and finds out if consumers around the world want more.
The report indicates that there is an overwhelming need for consumers to be provided with more information about the food they are eating when out of home. Whether this is where the food was sourced, how it was prepared, its nutritional value or the safety of the food, people are demanding more transparency.
Key global results
- Seventy per cent of U.S. respondents want to know more about their meal when dining out, specifically when it comes to ingredient sourcing and production, preparation details and nutritional content.
- Diners in non-western and developing countries are significantly more concerned about access to information regarding their meals than U.S. diners. In non-western and developing countries, 90 per cent or more of respondents said they wanted greater transparency about their meal content when dining out.
- Across all surveyed countries, fat, calories, preservatives and food additives topped respondents’ lists of the nutrients and ingredients they are most interested in knowing more about when dining out.
- In the United States and United Kingdom, sodium is seen as an important topic for information, while in China respondents would like to know more about the vitamins and proteins in their meals.
- An overwhelming majority (83 per cent) of U.S. respondents said that currently no nutritional information is provided to them when dining out -- a finding echoed by all of the surveyed countries.
- Sixty-four percent of U.S. respondents also agreed that knowing the nutritional content of their meal would help them choose healthier options when dining out.
- Nearly all respondents surveyed globally said that restaurants should take the lead in ensuring more transparency regarding the content of meals.
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While people acknowledge that there are enough healthy options, they also say that they would like a gentle nudge to help them make healthier choices when eating out. However, the report says, there appears to be no clear agreement on the way in which this information should be conveyed. Whether in the form of health logos or specific health claims, it remains a challenge for the food industry to develop an effective solution to meet consumer needs.
The company created the report to provide chefs and operators with insights from consumers worldwide regarding the attitudes and behaviours influencing their choices when dining out of home. In turn, Unilever Food Solutions offers products and services that help chefs and operators address those insights.
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The survey was conducted in seven countries -- the United States, United Kingdom, China, Germany, Russia, Brazil and Turkey -- among 3,500 people who report eating out at least once a week.
The seven countries included in the World Menu Report represent diversity in terms of culture, cuisine and a blend of developed and developing markets.
The survey results provide a relevant direction for all markets and can be used to stimulate conversation around healthy food and labelling. |
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