How the pandemic has fundamentally redefined attitudes to functional nutrition.

New Insights Into the Impact of COVID-19

It’s no longer news that the pandemic has massively increased interest in immune health, and demand for functional foods and beverages that offer to boost it. However, a far more fundamental shift has taken place over the last year and half. Earlier this year, Kerry set out to give the food and beverage industry new insights into the impact of COVID-19 on purchasing behaviors in relation to their health. We surveyed 13,000 people across 16 countries and learned that heightened awareness of the importance of immune health was part of a much bigger picture.

The Growing Immune Health Market

Once the world woke up to the seriousness of the coronavirus, the impact on functional foods and beverage markets was immediate. Between February and March 2020, there was a 670 percent increase in Google searches for “food” and “immune system”1 and by April 2020, more than a third of consumers worldwide had increased their consumption of foods to boost their immune health.2

Our survey showed that the demand for immune health products remained sky-high into 2021. When respondents were presented with a list of health areas and asked to choose those that were the most important reasons for buying healthy lifestyle products, nearly six in 10 (58 percent) chose immune system support. Immune health was not only the most important reason, but was also significantly ahead of the next most important benefits, such as healthy bones and joints (46 percent), digestive health (43 percent) and heart health (40 percent). Moreover, immune health was the top health benefit sought by consumers in each of the 16 countries surveyed. Nearly four in 10 (39 percent) consumers globally had used an immune health product over the past six months and a further 30 percent would consider doing so in future, suggesting a total potential market of 69 percent.3

Thinking About Health Redefined

However, what was most striking about our findings was the scale of the impact of the pandemic beyond the immune health category. More than four in 10 consumers globally had increased their purchases of functional foods, beverages and supplements overall since the start of the pandemic.

44 percent had bought more dietary supplements, while 42 percent had increased their purchases of functional or fortified foods and beverages.

Clearly, factors much bigger than concern about contracting COVID-19 are at play. In a recent analysis, FMCG Gurus argues that the pandemic has redefined the way consumers think about their overall health and wellbeing, with far greater emphasis placed on proactive approaches.4 This is supported by its own survey, which found that 75 percent of global consumers were making greater attempts to lead healthy lifestyles as a result of COVID-19.5 And among those who had sought to improve their immune health, by far the most common strategy was nutrition, with 68 percent globally saying they had made changes to their diets and 67 percent saying they were willing to purchase products that help boost their immune system.6

Holistic Philosophies

Meanwhile, consumers have increasingly been adopting holistic health philosophies, recognizing that various elements of physical, cognitive, mental and emotional wellbeing are interlinked. Partly because of their link to immune health (as well as the emotional impacts of the pandemic), categories like sleep support and stress relief have also grown. Supplements for sleep increased by nearly two-thirds over the course of 2020, while products for mood or stress grew by 40 percent.7 There has also been growth in “dual action” products which address immune health along with other needs, such as cognitive and children’s health.8

A related phenomenon is the growing awareness of the relationship between gut health and immunity, which has driven interest in ingredients like probiotics. In FMCG Gurus’ survey, 48 percent of consumers who had sought to improve their digestive health did so to bolster their body’s natural defenses.9 In our own survey, 39 percent of consumers associated probiotics with immune health. Categories Where Immune Health is a Powerful Driver

While demand for immune health benefits has increased, the preferred vehicle for them has changed significantly. “Pill fatigue” is a real phenomenon, and many consumers prefer the idea of getting health benefits through more convenient routes: two thirds (65 percent) of U.S. consumers seek added functional benefits from their everyday food and beverages.10 Worldwide, almost seven in 10 (69 percent) have purchased, or would consider purchasing, a fortified or functional food product.11

Against this backdrop, our survey provides new insights into the food and beverage categories where immune health is a particularly powerful purchase driver. Of the global consumers who had made purchases in each category over the previous six months, 52 percent said they would be interested in fruit or vegetable juices if they provided immune health benefits, while other beverages such as sports nutrition drinks (45 percent) and enhanced waters (44 percent) also showed high potential. When it came to food, 40 percent of consumers who currently purchase breakfast cereal/granola said they would like to see immune health benefits in this category, as did 37 percent of those who purchased nutritional bars.

Interestingly, however, there were some major differences between global markets. For example, in Europe, the category most associated with immune health was yogurt, but in North America, it was fruit and vegetable juices, and in Asia, it was dairy-based drinks.

Standing Out in a Crowded Market

The growth of the immune health market raises the question of how products can stand out from the crowd. The short answer is to use scientifically substantiated ingredients and to communicate their benefits transparently. Our survey found that many consumers do their own research on ingredients when evaluating an immune health product and are more likely to make a purchase if they have seen scientific data supporting its claims.12 Another proven strategy is the inclusion of branded ingredients, which can help tell a story that consumers understand and clearly communicate benefits. In 2020, the Trust Transparency Center found that the percentage of consumers influenced by branded ingredients was above, or close to, 70 percent across all categories.13

In this climate, using clinically validated ingredients—and communicating transparently about their benefits—offers a significant competitive advantage. Our own immune health product, Wellmune, is the only yeast beta glucan ingredient supported by over a dozen published, peer-reviewed clinical studies, which have demonstrated its ability to support immune health among a range of populations. Furthermore, our research found that it resonates with consumers. Respondents were given a detailed description of Wellmune and the types of formats in which it can be found. Eight in 10 (80 percent) found the description believable and 56 percent thought it was unique. Seven in 10 (70 percent) said they would definitely or probably purchase a product containing Wellmune, and half (50 percent) said its inclusion would influence them to switch brands.14

The Responsibility to Educate

The pandemic has increased demand not just for functional foods and beverages but also for information: FMCG Gurus found that 62 percent of consumers want to know more about how they can improve their immune health.15 Sadly, however, there’s a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding around (for example, not all beta glucan ingredients offer the same proven immune health benefits as Wellmune). So, it’s unsurprising that consumers are skeptical, with 40 percent believing that brands can make misleading claims around ingredients used in products.16

The pandemic has therefore heightened the responsibility of the industry to communicate honestly and to support consumer education. That’s why Kerry works not just to increase the body of scientific knowledge about immune health, but also to arm consumers with easy-to-understand information about new ingredient technologies and how they work.

Changes Long Into the Future

History tells us that times of crisis reinforce proactive attitudes to health. During the 2007-2009 recession, for example, demand for vitamins, minerals and other natural wellness solutions increased.17 There has not been a crisis like this in our lifetimes, and many of its impacts will be with us for the foreseeable future. The pandemic has underscored the power of the link between diet and health, and the shift toward proactive approaches will be fundamental and long-lasting. NIE

References:

1 Google Trends.

2 FMCG Gurus Evaluating the Uncertainty & Future Outlook of COVID-19 (April 2020).

3 Kerry Global Consumer Survey, Digestive & Immune Health, 2021, Survey carried out online in January 2021. Total sample (n=13,072). Australia (n=805), Brazil (n=804),China (n=808), Colombia (n=803), France (n=801),Germany (n=805),India (n=801), Indonesia (n=805),Italy (n=804), Japan (n=805),Mexico (n=804), South Korea (n=806), Spain (n=802),Thailand (n=809), UK (n=808), USA (n=1002). All respondents had responsibility for grocery purchasing decisions and had used, or considered using, a healthy lifestyle product such as a supplement or functional food over the previous six months.

4 Kerry Global Consumer Survey, Digestive & Immune Health, 2021.

5 FMCG GURUS ‘Attitudes Towards Immune and Digestive Health in a Post-Pandemic Society’, May 2021.

6 FMCG GURUS ‘Attitudes Towards Immune and Digestive Health in a Post-Pandemic Society’, May 2021.

7 Nutrition Business Journal, Supplement Business Report, 2021.

8 Innova Market Insights, Trends Insider, In Tune with Immune, 2021.

9 FMCG GURUS ‘Attitudes Towards Immune and Digestive Health in a Post-Pandemic Society’, May 2021.

10 Kerry – Proactive Health, March 2019.

11 Kerry, Global Consumer Survey – Digestive & Immune Health, 2019.

12 Kerry Global Consumer Research, Digestive and Immune Health, 2021.

13 Steinford, S (Founder, Trust Transparency Center) ‘New Research Shows Consumers Value Branded Ingredients. Do You?’ Whole Foods, November 12, 2020.

14 Kerry Global Consumer Research, Digestive and Immune Health, 2021.

15 FMCG GURUS ‘Attitudes Towards Immune and Digestive Health in a Post-Pandemic Society’, May 2021.

16 FMCG Gurus, 2021.

17 SPINS, 2020.

John Quilter, Kerry vice president of global portfolio – ProActive Health, leads the development and growth of Kerry’s ProActive Health technologies. He holds a Bachelor of agriculture science and a Master of food science from University College Dublin (UCD) and a professional diploma in strategy, innovation and change from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.