Fat is more important to consumers than sugar when it comes to dairy products, exclusive research for The Grocer’s Dairymen supplement has revealed.
In a poll of 2,032 consumers by Harris Interactive, 41% said fat content influenced their choice of dairy product compared with just 28% for sugar.
“Whilst sugar is the hot topic of the moment, consumers are still mindful of the fat content in dairy products - in fact, it has a much bigger influence on buying behaviour than sugar across all age groups,” said Harris Interactive head of fmcg and retail research Lucia Juliano.
“Less sugar and less fat rank equally amongst the British public as key drivers that would encourage them to buy dairy more often, so dairy companies should not overlook the importance of fat content whilst the sugar debate dominates the media.”
When consumers were asked about how healthy they thought dairy products were, most products - with the exception of milk and yoghurt, were “seen as being pretty unhealthy”, Juliano added.
Cheddar, butter, margarine and flavoured milk all rated poorly on health, especially when compared against milk alternatives and olive oil. Flavoured milk, for example, was rated as similar to crisps and confectionery in terms of health. “The dairy industry really will have its work cut out if it wishes to counter such deep-rooted consumer beliefs,” she said.
Overall, 43% of respondents said they were happy with sugar levels in dairy products, while 41% thought the industry needed to do more. Some 16% said they did not want to see any changes to how much sugar was in dairy products “because it tastes good”.
On a more positive note, 76% of consumers had no plans to change their dairy intake over the next 12 months for health reasons, although those under 35 years old were more likely to cut back, with nearly a quarter of 16 to 24-year-olds saying they planned to reduce their dairy intake - a trend the dairy industry needed to be mindful of, warned Juliano.
The full results of the poll will be published in The Dairymen this weekend.
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