Proactive health fuels functional ingredient demand Consumers are making fundamental changes to their diets and lifestyles As Europeans take a proactive approach to wellbeing, they are making fundamental changes to a variety of aspects of their lifestyle to help facilitate healthy ageing. This is because consumers recognize that improving dietary habits alone is not enough to maintain and improve health. Europeans are looking to exercise more and reduce levels of inactivity, something which will be spurred to an extent by many people feeling that they have gained weight over the last couple of years because of increased levels of comfort eating. In addition, consumers are looking to improve their sleep health and mental wellbeing. Across Europe, a high proportion of people suffer from problems such as stress and anxiety, fatigue, an inability to relax, and poor sleeping patterns – something that doesn’t just impact mood and energy levels but increases the risk of vulnerability to illness.
Have you done any of the following in the last two years? 2019
50%
49% 2021 34%
37%
61%
46%
37% 28%
26% 21%
Taken nutritional supplements
Looked to improve my mental wellbeing
Improved my diet
Looked to improve my sleeping patterns
Exercised more
A proactive approach towards wellbeing means that consumers are taking a greater interest in functional ingredients As consumers take a proactive approach to wellbeing, they are looking to educate themselves about wellbeing matters – even if they are not suffering any symptoms and are satisfied with that area of health, highlighting how health goals are increasingly aligned with prevention over cure. Linked to this, consumers are also taking a greater interest in functional ingredients that offer a health boost beyond basic nutrition. Active ingredient claims appeal at a time when people want the most effective health solutions, and products that carry a variety of ingredient and benefit claims will appeal to people from an efficacy, convenience, and value perspective. At the same time, increased skepticism amongst Europeans towards the health and wellness industry in general means that brands need to provide clinically proven/scientific evidence to support health claims being made.
The proportion of consumers who say that they have done the following more frequently in the last two years Educated myself more about my health
Taken a greater interest in ingredients in food and drink that are known to boost health
58% 40% 33% 25%
2019
2021
2019
2021
European Consumer Trends in 2022
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