Commodities
Home›Commodities›Agriculture›Ardent Mills survey finds consumers want simpler, bett…
Ardent Mills survey finds consumers want simpler, better-for-you grains
In the company’s survey, 64% of US adults said they feel only somewhat confident they can maintain a healthy diet.
US consumers are increasingly seeking food products with better-for-you ingredients and are looking to food brands for guidance, according to proprietary research from Ardent Mills, a Denver-based milling company.
The survey found 64% of US adults said they feel only somewhat confident about maintaining a healthy diet. Ardent Mills said consumers use multiple sources to choose more healthful foods, but food brands and ingredient manufacturers remain top sources for education.
Ardent Mills attributed the desire for more guidance to confusion around common marketing terms such as clean label, whole foods, and nutrient density, as well as a lack of standard, universally accepted definitions for many nutritional concepts. It also said perceived gaps in ingredient and claim knowledge, confidence in making the best choice for health and wallets, and trust in available information sources can limit follow-through.
The company said consumers mostly align on ideas including fewer ingredients, ingredients they recognize, and whole ingredients, and it reported that consumers look for benefits tied to areas like digestive or heart health and reduced inflammation rather than specific numerical thresholds.