Food Companies Cut Sweet and Salty: Why?

Newswise — Governments around the world have been pressuring the food industry to offer healthier fare. The latest headlines indicate the industry is listening. But to whom are they listening?

Food marketing expert Nancy Childs, Ph.D. believes the companies’ commitments to offer healthier products are in response to consumer demand rather than government appeal. “Smart food marketers listen to their consumers and respond with solutions,” she says. “Two of their largest and growing markets, young families and boomers, are looking for healthier choices.”

In the United States, First Lady Michelle Obama has made the fight against childhood obesity a top priority. She recently urged food manufacturers to put less fat, salt and sugar in foods. The first lady’s commitment is emblematic of the increase in health-conscious consumers who place a higher value on healthy foods, according to Childs. “She’s a powerful and authentic voice to young moms.”

Recent announcements from the food industry include PepsiCo Inc.’s plans to eliminate sugary drinks from schools worldwide; Kraft Foods Inc. cutting salt from its North American products 10 percent over the next two years; and ConAgra Foods Inc. and Campbell Soup Co. implementing similar sodium cuts.

Childs says these companies are making huge commitments in their markets positioning themselves as leaders in this healthy food revolution. “Good food is good business. The industry is also motivated by the ‘added value’ of healthier foods, which helps justify holding or increasing their prices. This validates their brand quality in a depressed economy where price discounting gets a lot of attention,” she says.

Childs, a professor of food marketing at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, was recently appointed to the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board as the national representative for Food Retailing and Marketing. Childs also sits on Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell’s Food Safety Commission, and is the author of numerous book chapters and articles related to food marketing, labeling, policy and obesity.