Even as inflation continues to concern consumers, the link between fresh, healthier food and improved well-being is not lost on grocery shoppers, according to a survey by Deloitte.
In the report, Deloitte’s “Fresh Food as Medicine for the Heartburn of High Prices,” over 2,000 adults ages 18 to 70 were polled and 84% said health and wellness was a key factor in buying fresh foods. Another 75% said they are actively seeking more personalized nutrition, which is an increase of 13 percentage points from a year ago. Also, 55% of those surveyed said they will pay extra for “the right foods” that bolster their health and wellness.
The belief that fresh foods are healthier than packaged foods seem strong, even when packaged foods highlight their health benefits. Deloitte reported 80% of survey respondents think fresh foods are better for you than packaged or processed foods that are marketed as healthy.
Most of those polled also believe certain foods bring functional wellness benefits, such as boosting mental or physical performance(79%), providing preventive or therapeutic health properties (78%), or serving as the best medicine (75%).
Weight management (43%), managing existing medical conditions (32%), disease prevention (39%), immunity building (35%), improving emotional/mental health (34%), and raising cognitive performance (21%) were also cited as major health benefits from fresh foods by consumers.
“Despite inflation and rising food costs, consumers are willing to pay for fresh food that will positively impact their health and wellness,” Daniel Edsall, principal at New York-based Deloitte Consulting LLP, said in a statement upon the report’s release.
“Amid increasing competition, fresh food producers and retailers have the opportunity to introduce consumers to healthy choices and use food as medicine. Grocers who can close the information gap between fresh food and its health outcomes can be better positioned to win over consumers and compete on aspects other than price” he added.