Canadian Grocer Magazine’s November 2015 issue is announcing the death of artificial ingredients.
The article quotes Emma Eriksson, marketing director of snacks at General Mills Canada:
“[For General Mills], it’s all about listening to our consumers and making sure we stay in sync with what they want in their food. No artificial colours and flavours is something they are looking for in their cereals, and it’s one of the top nutritional claims they’re looking for when they’re buying food overall.”
Today, roughly 60% of General Mills’ cereals are made without artificial flavours or colours, including Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. The company is aiming for 75% by this January, including Reese’s Puffs and Trix; and 90% by the end of 2016.
Cutting out artificial colours, flavours and other chemical-sounding names from their food is expected from CPG companies. However, in Québec, the move should come with simpler, more easily accessible information about how to eat a healthy diet.
Findings from our firm’s What Québec Wants study conducted in 2014 revealed that one in three Quebeckers (35%) were confused about how to eat a healthy diet compared to only one in four in the rest-of-Canada (24.8%).
When asked how often they typically read the list of ingredients, the nutritional and calorie information or the presence or absence of artificial ingredients such as preservatives, colours or flavours, Quebeckers are significantly less likely than Canadian in the ROC to say they do so.
Our survey also uncovered part of the reason: Quebeckers are more likely to say they find it difficult to understand the nutrition terms on food labels.
Smart marketers should turn this problem into an opportunity to build a competitive edge by making it easier for Quebeckers to sort out this nutritional puzzle.
Comments