A new survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) broke down some of the feelings and perceptions that consumers in the U.S. have about where processed foods fit into their overall dietary patterns, showing relatively mixed feelings about food processing depending on other factors.
 
According to the results, which were sourced from a population of 1,002 adults weighted to represent the U.S. population, 77% of Americans buy processed foods and beverages sometimes or often. Nearly one-third (32%) said that they do so very often. Age seems to play a role in the overall likelihood of purchasing processed foods, with those under the age of 45 twice as likely to purchase processed foods very often compared to older adults.
 
48% of those surveyed say that the take into consideration whether a food is processed or not before purchasing it, with 19% of those consumers more likely to purchase a product if it is processed compared to 29% of those who say they are less likely to purchase a product if it’s processed. 28% of those who consider whether a food is processed say that it depends on the food, while 23% of consumers say that processing is not a consideration in their purchasing pattern. Men earning over $80,000 and those under 45 years old are most likely to purchase a processed product compared to their counterparts. Those who at least sometimes consider whether foods or beverages are processed tend to turn to ingredient lists, the type of food, front-of-package labels, and the Nutrition Facts label to inform their purchasing.
 
Just over half (51%) of consumers said that the amount of processed foods and beverages they’ve purchased over the past three months hasn’t changed. However, 19% say that they’re purchasing more processed foods than normal, while 22% are purchasing less. Men, those earning over $80,000, and those under the age of 45 were more likely to increase their purchasing of processed products, while those earning less than $40,000 and those above the age of 45 were more likely to say that the amount of processed foods they buy hasn’t changed.
 
Where Concerns Lie
The survey also broke down the top concerns that Americans have with processed foods, including concerns about health and environmental attributes, which specific foods and beverages cause the most concern, taste, and price.
 
Protein content holds sway in the purchase of processed foods, with 55% of consumers saying that they are more likely to purchase a processed product if it is high in protein. Other nutritional factors which make processed foods more appealing include enrichment with vitamins and minerals, natural flavors and colors, high fiber content, and low fat.
 
Additionally, about half of consumers buy processed products if they are perceived as environmentally friendly, but this behavior is specific to demographics – compared to their counterparts, those under 45, men, and those earning more than $80,000 are more likely to buy a processed food if it is environmentally friendly, organic, and/or plant-based.
 
Degrees of concern over processed foods appeared consistent, more or less, across different types of foods and beverages, with the participants reporting slightly elevated levels of concern about processing in meat or poultry (24%), sugar-sweetened beverages (24%), and frozen meals (24%).
 
Even when “processed” is listed as a possible purchase driver, the taste, healthfulness, and price remained the top reasons for purchasing foods and beverages, according to the respondents. However, processed appears to be slightly more of a purchase driver in beverages compared to foods.