BOSTON — Several product benefits, including fiber and natural ingredients, may appeal to “whole grain prioritizers,” said Julie Johnson, president of Health Focus International. These consumers want to consume healthier types of carbohydrates.
“So they are avoiding processed carbs and seeking out carbs from whole foods, like whole grains, also veggies and legumes,” she said in a Jan. 28 webinar put on by the Boston-based Whole Grains Council.
During the webinar, Johnson gave details on an HFI 2024 international study that covered 25 international markets and 13,517 interviews of consumers at least 18 years old. Thirty-seven percent of respondents were whole grain “prioritizers” in that they sought carbohydrates from whole foods. Another 33% said they use carbohydrates as part of an overall balanced diet and do not focus on the type of carbohydrates.
“The main point here is the vast majority, about 70%, think about their carb intake,” Johnson said.
While 16% said they avoid carbohydrates as much as possible, 13% said they do not think about their carbohydrate intake.
“Those are groups that you are not going to pay much attention to,” she said.
Consumers who prioritize whole grains generally cared more about their health. When respondents were asked if they were extremely or very concerned about their health, 60% of the whole grain priority group said they were, which compared to 55% overall. The whole grain priority group also was more concerned about cancer (51% to 47%), inflammation (51% to 44%) and digestive health (47% to 45%).
“So it’s not just about telling consumers what is in their products or what ingredients they may want to see,” Johnson said. “It’s telling them how those ingredients can benefit them.”