Source: Mintel
Globally, the number of food products displaying ethical and environmental on-pack claims more than doubled between 2008 and 2012, demonstrating an increased focus on sustainability. In 2012, 12% of products launched globally featured ethical and environmental claims, compared to 4% of products launched in 2008.
Europe leads the way in terms of products featuring sustainability related claims, with the region accounting for almost half of all global food launches featuring ethical and environmental on-pack claims in 2012. Products launched with ethical and environmental claims in the UK alone accounted for one in five global launches, and just over two in five European launches in 2012. This puts the country into the spotlight as a star performer on the global stage in terms of sustainable practices, and sets high standards for other countries to follow. In Europe, France and Germany follow the UK in terms of use of ethical and environmental claims, with 15% of new products in France, and one in 10 in Germany, featuring such claims.
Sustainable claims play a strong role
Looking at the European frozen food market in particular, ethical and environmental claims have a strong role to play on-pack, with environmentally friendly package claims found on 11% of frozen food product launches, and environmentally friendly product claims featured on 5% in 2012. This is compared to the European chilled food market, where the ‘environmentally friendly package’ claim is the only ethical and environmental one to make it into the top 10 list of overall on-pack claims for the sector, featured on 11% of products.
Perceptions tainted, but benefits are plentiful
Data suggests that perceptions of frozen foods are changing, with 40% of UK consumers in a 2012 Mintel survey believing that frozen foods are as good for you as fresh, up from 35% in 2008. However, frozen food continues to have a bad reputation amongst some consumers who wrongly believe that frozen food items are of a poorer quality and nutritional value compared to their fresh counterparts. Organizations such as the British Food Federation are looking to change this mentality however, and its slogan, “You can be sure it’s Fresh – It’s Frozen”, identifies and promotes one of the common misconceptions that consumers have about frozen food, but one of the key advantages of it. Frozen food companies have a strong role to play when it comes to sustainability, and a focus on ethical and environmental practices can help to promote the plentiful benefits of frozen food, particularly when compared to chilled products. One of the main advantages of frozen food, compared to chilled is related to food waste. According to Love Food Hate Waste, part of the UK’s not-for-profit organization WRAP, which was established in 2000 to kick-start recycling, consumers in the UK throw away 7.2 million tons of food and drink from their homes each year, amounting to a value of GBP12bn. Compared to fresh and chilled food, frozen food can be kept for much longer, reducing waste to minimize environmental impact, and offering better value for money and cost-savings. Furthermore, frozen food can be bought in bulk, as it can be kept in the freezer until needed, aiding with meal planning and offering convenience. According to Mintel, more than eight in 10 (85%) UK consumers are making an effort to reduce food waste, while four in 10 would like to know more about how to reduce food waste. Furthermore, more than four in 10 (44%) UK consumers report that they are planning their shopping more carefully. A significant portion of consumers (42%) are also purposefully buying frozen fruit and vegetables to avoid waste, recognizing that fresh fruit and vegetables are more likely to be wasted. In key European countries, a large proportion of consumers recognize the benefits of buying in bulk, and this is likely to impact positively on the frozen food market, particularly as consumers become better educated about the benefits of frozen food. In Italy in particular, more than nine in 10 consumers buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste. Moreover, food waste reduction positioning is now beginning to appear on a range of food products. For example, Findus positions frozen vegetable and side dish products in Norway and Sweden as environmentally friendly because they minimize food waste, utilizing a Frozen Food Minimizes Waste logo.
Ethical claims most prominent on fish products
Within frozen food, fish products are the sub-category leading the use of ethical and environmental claims. This is likely to be partly because of MSC labeling, which can be used on products when manufacturers have met sustainable fishing and seafood traceability standards set out by the Marine Stewardship Council. When choosing meat, seafood or poultry products, 42% of UK consumers consider ‘High animal welfare’ to be an important quality, with it being a greater priority than average to those who have bought ready-to-cook/ready-to-eat seafood, as well as continental meats. Brand initiatives such as John West launching its first range of canned tuna using entirely pole and line caught fish in 2012, or Birds Eye introducing its first MSC-labeled cod and haddock fish fingers in September 2012, is likely to be spreading awareness. Moreover, 41% of consumers agree with the statement “I expect the brand/retailer to ensure their meat/seafood/poultry is responsibly sourced”. Ethical and environmental claims are also frequently used in the Prepared Meals sub-category, featured on 14% of products between 2008 and 2012. Consumers may be more skeptical about such claims in this sub-category at the moment, however, following the horse meat scandal. The frozen ready meals category was already struggling from stalling sales prior to the horse meat adulteration scare, with the scandal seemingly confirming negative associations with the products as being unhealthy (35% of consumers agreeing) and processed (47%). Unsurprisingly, the category is seen to be the least trustworthy. Overcoming such negative perceptions is a challenge for the frozen food industry as a whole. Ready meal manufacturers could take inspiration from other categories such as frozen vegetables and fish, which try to position frozen food as the fresher alternative, such as Birds Eye’s Field Fresh range and supporting advertising campaign. This positioning could particularly resonate with vegetarian frozen ready meals, while also providing an opportunity to shout about vegetable content. Despite an increased focus on sustainable practices by companies, not all consumers view the environment as a priority, and in the midst of a challenging economic environment, consumers are being forced to rethink their relationship with sustainability and with the steps they undertake to protect the environment. Of the four European markets, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, French consumers agree most with the statement “Right now, the economy concerns me more than the environment” (42%), followed by Spain (38%), and Italy (31%), demonstrating how concerns about the environment have taken a back seat to the economy. In contrast, only a quarter of German consumers agree with the statement. This is not surprising considering Germany is the country with the healthiest economy and an unemployment rate hovering around 5%. What is also notable, however, is that only a third of German consumers are prepared to make lifestyle changes to benefit the environment. This contrasts with consumer sentiment in Italy and Spain, two countries with significant economic challenges. In both countries, even during the crisis, more than four in 10 consumers are willing to make lifestyle trade-offs to benefit the environment. Furthermore, consumer behavior in the UK demonstrates how some are using the economy as a way to act more sustainably. For example, 41% of UK consumers claim they are wasting less food. This shows that the two approaches can in fact go hand-in-hand and influence one another.
Consumers also show some skepticism towards sustainable activity
Some consumers are skeptical about how dedicated companies genuinely are towards sustainable activity, with around half of consumers in France, Germany and Spain stating that they do not believe that companies are as green as they say they are. This suggests that some ethical and environmental claims may not be believed by consumers, making their positioning on-pack less effective. Although still relatively high at 42%, Italian consumers appear slightly less skeptical than their European counterparts. Despite this skepticism, however, around one in 10 consumers in France, Germany, Italy and Spain carry out research to check if consumers are green/ethical before buying their products. This suggests that even though they may be skeptical, they are not influenced enough by the claims to take time to learn of the more sustainable companies that they could purchase products from.