Consumers Want Satiety-Enhanced ‘Everyday’ Foods

ST. LOUIS—Weight managers are most interested in satiety-enhanced versions of "everyday" foods that they already consume regularly, according to a weight management consumer research study conducted by Solae across 11 countries. While results varied slightly by country, soup, yogurt and breakfast cereal consistently ranked high as categories where added satiety benefits would be of interest to weight managers.

Taste was the most important product attribute in 10 out of 11 countries when choosing foods for weight management. However, a food's ability to sustain energy levels and control hunger were other attributes consumers rated quite high in importance.

"Consumers are increasingly looking for ways to manage their weight through convenient foods and beverages," said Michele Fite, vice president of global marketing and strategy, Solae. "As Solae continues to invest in future ingredient innovation, this research helps us identify and better understand opportunities for protein-enhanced foods targeting weight management. Our data indicates that today's consumer understands the important role protein plays in helping manage hunger. As a high-quality plant-based protein, soy protein can help food manufacturers develop great-tasting, satisfying food products targeting this growing segment."

Across all countries, 78 percent or more of weight managers rated protein's ability to sustain energy levels, and control hunger as very or somewhat important to them. More than 73 percent of weight managers in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Turkey and the United States indicated high agreement with the notion that consuming high-protein foods can help delay hunger.

While weight managers place high importance on the role of protein in their diet, they do not perceive that any one protein source stands out when it comes to delivering weight management benefits uniquely. However, across all countries there was agreement (71 to 93 percent) that "consuming a balance of animal and plant proteins is a healthy approach."

"Our study results point to an opportunity for food manufacturers to focus more on protein content and less on protein sources when developing weight management products, giving them flexibility to formulate with blends of protein that deliver the optimal economics, flavor and nutrition for their products," Fite said. "We believe this will be a growing trend in the industry in the future."

Solae's weight management consumer research study was implemented in select countries in North America, South America, Europe and South Africa, collecting information from more than 5,300 weight managers.

http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/news/2010/12/consumers-want-satiety-enhanced-everyday-foods.aspx

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