Better for you, not best for you: Consumers want products that they deem to be guilt-free and conveniently nutritious

Proportion of consumers who say that they expect snacks to offer a nutritional boost (2019)

43%

29% 73%

Nigeria

Source: Active nutrition survey, Q3 2019 (3,000 respondents)

Source: Active nutrition survey, Q3 2019 (3,000 respondents)

South Africa Saudi Arabia

Proportion of consumers who say that they regularly enjoy indulgent treats (2019)

57% 64%

24%

Nigeria South Africa Saudi Arabia

Natural blueprint: Consumers want reassurance that ingredients are real and authentic

Natural formulation is a priority for consumers in Africa and the Middle East when choosing food and drink. Indeed, the decision of what product to purchase is one that only takes a few seconds, and consumers will prioritise taste, affordability, natural formulation, and sugar content when determining what product attributes to evaluate. As the middle-class demographic continues to grow in the region, consumers will become more demanding of the products that they buy and become more concerned about health and environmental issues. This means that the demand for natural products will only continue to grow in the region.

Natural claims are associated with a variety of benefits by consumers, which is why a high proportion deem it important that products are 100% natural. For instance, natural products are deemed to be tastier, healthier, better quality, and safer. They are also associated with more local production and shortened supply chains. These need states are something that are more important than ever to consumers in a post pandemic environment, meaning more emphasis will be placed on ingredients being real and authentic and free from chemicals.

There are several ways in which brands can target the natural trend. For example, brands can look to streamline ingredient lists, use only tried and trusted ingredients, and use only local farmers and suppliers. In addition, brands can also offer transparency through ensuring that nutritional labelling is simple and easy to understand.

It must be remembered that the word natural is something that is subjective and can mean different things to different consumers. At the same time, consumers are also becoming less trusting of brands, believing that health and wellness claims can often be misleading in order to charge a premium price. This creates the risk of consumers believing a product is labelled as natural for one reason, when it actually is for another – something that will only further create feelings of distrust towards the food and drink industry. As such, it is important that brands look to validate natural claims on products when they can.