Educating The Consumer On Health Benefits Of Vegetables To Promote Consumption
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Transcript of Educating The Consumer On Health Benefits Of Vegetables To Promote Consumption
Educating The Consumer On Health Benefits Of Vegetables To Promote Consumption
Reetica RekhyPhD Candidate
Faculty of Agriculture and EnvironmentUniversity of Sydney
15th July 2014
1. Current consumption levels of F&V in different parts of the developed world
2. Major global campaigns for promotion of F&V consumption and their success/ failure
3. Promoters and barriers to growth in F&V consumption – incl. consumer psychology and behaviour
4. Strategies for increasing F&V consumption incl. investigating any gaps in knowledge and awareness of consumers
Contents
Established health benefits of fruit & vegetables (F&V) – reduced risk of chronic disease and nutritional deficiencies (WHO, 2013)
WHO recommends minimum daily consumption of 400g of F&V (excluding potatoes)
BUT
Europe – 220g per person per day – 1/2 daily WHO recommendation (The Louis Bonduelle Foundation, 2011)
U.S. –1.8 cups of F&V per day – only 6-8% of individuals achieve recommended daily target (Produce for Better Health Foundation, 2010)
Australia – only 8.3% met guideline for daily vegetable intake, only 5.6% of adults had an adequate daily consumption of F&V in 2011-12 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012)
Globally 1.7 million deaths (2.8%) deaths per annum linked to low F&V consumption (WHO, 2013)
F&V Consumption – recommended & actual
Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommends 2-8 serves of vegetables & legumes and 1-5 serves of fruit daily – interpreted as 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables a day
1 serve of fruit = 150g = 1 cup chopped/canned fruit 1 serve of vegetables = 75g = 1 cup salad vegetables = ½ cup cooked vegetables
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012
Major global campaigns
Australia – “Go for 2&5”, 2005-2007
WA: Increase of 0.8 serves per day
National: Generated awareness, increased knowledge
U.S. “5 A Day for Better Health”, 1991-2006 and “Fruits & Veggies – More Matters”, 2007-present
Increased interest in 62% of the target audience
Denmark – “6 om dagen” (6 a day), 1999-present
Vegetable & fruit consumption increased by 41% & 75% (1995-2004)
U.K. – “Food Dudes”, 1992-present
60%-200% increase in consumption in 2013
New Zealand – “5+ A Day”, 1994-present
60.4% consume 2 serves of fruit in 2011 (46% in 1997)
66% consume 3 serves of vegetables (no significant change
since 1997)
Promoters & barriers to F&V consumption
Produce related
• price; seasonality; perishability; nutritional content; origin; quality of produce
Distribution channel related
• accessibility; variety of produce
Consumer related
• income; education; gender; age; household composition; cultural background; convenience; lifestyle; cooking skills; sensory factors –serving size awareness; attitudes, beliefs; personal values
Strategies for increasing consumption of F&V
Consumer Behaviour Theory – potential toolkit Cafes to automatically include F&V as a side dish in their meals
High visibility & increase in choice / variety on offer
Reduce unhealthy food alternatives eg vending machines and offer F&V as snacks
Cost effective & convenient packaging eg salads, stir frys
Offer price discounts & labels regarding nutritional content, associated health benefits
Food neophobia in children – repeated exposure & engaging children in growing and cooking F&V
Customise strategies according to needs of target market segment, with participation from all players
along value chain
Source: Produce for Better Health Foundation, 2012
Literature Review
Campaign success higher when greater collaboration between industry, retail,
government and not-for-profit public health organisations.
Effectiveness higher when campaign:
• culturally targeted at a specific group;
• focus on F&V separately and increase in accessibility;
• promotes consumption frequency (not serve size);
• supported by other initiatives - economic subsidies,
reduced taxes, other policy measures to lower price;
• behavioural change and goal setting;
• clear messages;
• longer time-frames;
• proactive involvement of family and interactive approach.
Consumer Study
To investigate the top of mind health benefits related to specific vegetables to determine how to best use health benefits symbols on vegetable
packaging
Aim
1. Sample size: 1000 respondents
2. Adult population only: 18 yrs +
3. Australia wide
4. English speaking background (ESB) and Non-English speaking background (NESB)
5. Online survey hosted by a reputed market research company
Consumer Study
Scope
1. “Importance of vegetables in the daily diet” and2. “Average daily number of serves of vegetables consumed (i.e. daily consumption levels)”: Significantly• English Speaking rated them more important and consumed
more than non-English Speaking
• Females rated them more important and consumed more than males
• 45’s and Over rated them more important and consumed more than Under 45’s
• Non-metro regions (incl ACT, Tas, NT) rated them more important and consumed more than metro areas
Key Findings – Importance & Daily Serves
Consumer Study
Consumer Study
Key Findings – Free Elicitation
3. Health related benefits for specific vegetables Respondents were asked to report attributes they thought had
an impact on body, mind and well-being
• “not sure” / “don’t know” Cos lettuce 56% Sweet corn 63% Cauliflower 63% White radish 72% Zucchini 60%
• Nutrients were mentioned more often than health benefits
Implication Vegetable health benefit literacy
level is very lowLiterature supports this too
4. Ranking health benefits:
Health related benefits for specific vegetables : rank the top three from the list provided, based on FSANZ approved health claims
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Consumer Study
Key Findings - Ranking
Consumer Study
Key Findings - Ranking
Vegetable Top health benefit %Carrots Healthy Vision 64Cos Lettuce Healthy Heart & Circulation 29Pumpkin Healthy Heart & Circulation 33Sweet Corn Healthy Heart & Circulation 63Broccoli Healthy Immune System 41Capsicum Healthy Immune System 39Cauliflower Healthy Digestion 53Sweet Potato Energy & Metabolism 52Asparagus Healthy Heart & Circulation 36Beans Healthy Digestion 65
Consumer Study
Recommendations
Labelling will help enhance health benefit literacy levels among vegetable consumers
Tailor programmes according to the needs of specific consumer groups (eg NESB or teenagers or males)
Supported with other integrated initiatives / campaigns to educate the consumer on health benefits (eg specialised smart phone apps targeted at the Under 45’s)
Overall health benefit rankings assist in the decision regarding choice of health benefit symbol to go on packaging of specific vegetables
Customise strategies according to needs of the target market