Consumers have a willingness to incorporate more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in their diets if those foods happened to have more nutritious ingredients, according to a new survey by Ayana Bio, a biotechnology company specializing in the production of cell culture-based bioactive ingredients. Taste, ingredient quality, and overall convenience are other leading purchase drivers, the survey revealed.   
 
The company conducted the survey in order to understand consumers’ attitudes, values, and willingness to consume UPFs as well as variables influencing purchasing decisions surrounding these foods.
 
For reference, Ayana Bio defined ultra-processed foods as “foods that have gone through multiple levels of processing and contain additives such as preservatives, sweeteners, sensory enhancers, colorants, flavors, and processing aids.”
 
Key Findings
 
Americans are split on whether ultra-processed foods are bad for your health, with 57% saying yes, and 43% saying no, the survey found.
 
Consumers were more preoccupied with increasing benefits than reducing harm when it came to how they defined health. Most people (64%) think of ‘healthier’ foods as foods that are more nutritious, rather than foods that have less harmful ingredients like fat, sugar, and salt.
 
Two thirds of adults would eat more and pay more for ultra-processed foods if they included more nutritious ingredients or health benefits.
 
Most adults (74%) would try an ultra-processed food if it benefitted cardiovascular function, brain function, sleep, immunity, or energy.
 
Meanwhile, 67% of adults would be willing to pay more for an ultra-processed food that contained more nutritious ingredients that deliver health benefits, a preference which was not affected by household income. Of these respondents, 68% said that they would pay $3 more.
 
Younger generations are the most eager for options, Ayana Bio noted. Millennials and Gen Z adults, as well as parents with children in the household, are more interested in trying and paying more for healthier ultra-processed foods. In total, 84% of 18-34-year-olds but just 43% of those over the age of 65 expressed such interest.
 
A strong majority (82%) of adults include ultra-processed foods in their diets. Respondents cited taste, (62%), convenience (59%), a longer shelf life (34%), and lower price (32%) as the top reasons why they choose ultra-processed foods.
 
Beyond added benefits, the quality of ingredients on the whole is another concern, with 52% of adults and 62% of parents with children under 18 saying they’d be more willing to include ultra-processed foods in their diets if they had better ingredient quality.
 
“Plant cell cultivation can enable the food industry to incorporate nutritious ingredients to create healthy processed food. Our survey affirms that the majority of Americans are open-minded about incorporating healthier, processed food options into their diets if these options exist,” says Frank Jaksch, CEO of Ayana Bio. “The media has painted a discouraging picture of ultra-processed foods, but the reality is the cost of fresh food can be prohibitive for many. We need processed food to take the pressure off fresh food supplies and innovative, cost effective and nutrient-dense ingredients that can be integrated into the foods people are reaching for to yield accessible, sustainable and nourishing food for the masses.”
 
According to Ayana Bio, plant cell cultivation can help to produce more affordable, nutrient-dense ingredient additives, by growing plant materials directly from cells and optimizing them for characteristics like high bioactive content, stability, and purity.