Consumers confused about dairy products and health
In a survey of 2,000 consumers in the UK, US, Spain and Australia, carried out by New Nutrition Business, 79% of consumers revealed that they find messages surrounding health, food and nutrition confusing.
The foods that UK consumers are most confused about are dairy, eggs and butter.
Joana Maricato, research manager at New Nutrition Business, says, “Consumers in the UK, and worldwide are confused about whether certain foods are healthy or not. Online sources are their go-to place for dietary information, where they often find contradictory advice.
“So, they pick and choose a dietary pattern that they believe suits them best and craft their own eating style.”
Another contributing factor to the confusion is loss of trust in official dietary guidelines. When deciding what is healthy, the majority of UK consumers (34%) rely on online sources such as blogs rather than dietitians or nutritionists.
Only 14% of those surveyed would ask a dietitian for advice – just a few more people than the group (11%) who would watch a documentary.
This tendency is strongest in Spain, where 46% of consumers go online for their health information.
