WHAT consumers have increased in their diets in recent years versus what consumers have removed from their diets clearly shows that the trend is toward convenience, Harry Balzer, chief food industry analyst and vice president for the NPD Group in Chicago, Ill., to the National Chicken Council's annual conference.
To illustrate, he offered a few samples. The biggest change in the consumer diet in the last 10 years has been the increase in consumption of yoghurt, which "says something" about what Americans are eating and why, he said: Yoghurt works as a meal or snack, does not require preparation and does not require clean up.
Contrary to popular belief, he said the biggest change has not been hummus, which is favored by only 1.5 per cent of Americans, nor coffee, the peak consumption year for which was 1946.
Balzer said the number-one food prepared in the home was the sandwich, but between 1984 and this year, the number of sandwiches eaten in the home that were prepared in the home had dropped from 98% to 88%.
The number-one food prepared in the microwave is the frozen package of vegetables, he added, because more and more vegetables came in packages that also were the cooking ware.
The appliance on the fastest decline in use in the home is the toaster, he said, and the number of restaurant meals consumed in the car is increasing because of the power window. "If you push this (toaster) button down, you get toast, but if you push this (power window) button down, you get a meal," he explained.
Nutrition labels
Balzer then turned to another topic: food labelling as a means to provide consumers with nutrition information to help them make healthful eating decisions, which he quickly suggested won't work.
He said the U.S. Nutrition Labeling Education Act (NLEA) enacted in 1990 required food producers to put nutrition panels on packages. With maps of the US outlining the states, he reported what has occurred since then in terms of obesity:
- In 1990, the map had two colors, one for the healthy states and one for the four states that were considered as having too many obese people;
- In 1995, half of all states had the second color;
- In 2000, a third color was added to differentiate levels of obesity, and
- In 2005, a fourth color was added.
"The NLEA didn't work and neither will the new labeling laws" that require calorie and nutrition information on menus (Feedstuffs, Sept. 6) or are under consideration to put nutrition panels on the front of packages (Feedstuffs, Dec. 14, 2009, and May 10), he said.
Salad bars have been removed from many restaurants because consumers stopped ordering salad bars, Balzer noted.
Here's how Americans are dealing with the overweight question, he said: The percentage of people who respond that thinner people are more attractive than heavier people has dropped significantly in recent years.
Here's how to get Americans to eat more for their health, Balzer said: Offer new products that are healthful because Americans always like new products and provide convenient and/or less expensive products that are healthful because Americans respond to convenience and prices.
