According to a new survey published by PR company Ingredient Communications, sourced from 1,000 adults living in the U.S. and U.K., found substantial gaps in the types of worldviews that consumers hold on sustainability, ethics, price sensitivity, and more based on age.
 
Generation Z consumers, for example, are more concerned about credentials related to sustainability when purchasing foods and beverages than their older counterparts, and interest in these claims appears to wane the most in Baby Boomers. The same trend was apparent for the appeal that vegan and vegetarian products have, Ingredient Communications reports. One third of those between the ages of 18 and 25 (34%) said that they consider it very important that a product is made sustainably, compared to 18% of the 65-and-up crowd.
 
38% of those between the ages of 18 and 24 said they find vegetarian claims on products to be ‘very appealing,’ and 33% said they feel the same way about vegan claims, compared to only 6% of respondents who were 65 or older. Only 3% of this older group found vegan claims ‘very appealing.’
 
Price sensitivities are another major differentiator between Gen Z and Boomers, Ingredient Communications found. 29% of those between the ages of 18 and 24 said that it is ‘very important’ that a product is the cheapest available, compared to only 3% of those over the age of 65 who agreed with such a claim. However, 18-24-year-olds are much more willing to pay extra for a product made entirely of ingredients they recognize, representing where the popularity of the clean-label movement rests (67%, compared to 27% of Boomers).
 
Younger shoppers also have the strongest feelings against GMO ingredients, the company reports, with two in five reporting that a GMO-free product is likely ‘very healthy,’ compared to 14% of those over the age of 65 who made the same claim. Furthermore, a health halo exists around gluten-free claims for younger consumers, with nearly four in ten (38%) of 18 to 24-year-olds believing gluten-free is a sign that a product is ‘very healthy,’ compared to only 6% of Boomers.
 
“It’s no surprise that younger and older consumers see the world differently, but this survey sheds light on how their views diverge in the food and beverage sector,” Richard Clarke, managing director of Ingredient Communications, said. “These insights highlight the importance of aligning product development and marketing with the worldview of your target consumer demographic. While there will be common ground between generations, the areas of disagreement can be quite striking – and this means a one-size-fits-all approach is risky.”