Symrise says German consumers prefer natural foods

Studies carried out by Symrise have found that German consumers prefer purchasing natural foods when compared to the rest of the European population.

As part of the six studies performed over the past two years, around 15,000 consumers aged 16 to 70 were surveyed by Symrise from 12 countries in Europe, Asia, North America and Latin America.

The studies have revealed that German buyers choose foods that offer taste and consumer-friendliness. French and UK consumers also consider these factors, followed by value for money and naturalness.

In Japan, nearly 50% of the consumers prefer natural raw foods, while it is about a third of the population in Thailand and a quarter in China.

Results also showed that US and Latin American consumers expect naturalness in the yoghurt (68%), soup (55%) and flavoured water (50%). Consumers look for terms such as ‘fresh’, ‘natural’, ‘local ingredients’ and ‘free of additives and preservatives’ on food product packaging.

Symrise global marketing engagement manager Stefanie Hartwig said: “Many consumers today want to buy the most natural food possible. At Symrise, we respond to this preference with our code of nature platform.

“This means that we value natural ingredients, gentle processing and authentic taste in our products.”

In its survey, the company identified that the term ‘natural’ highly influences consumer’s perception and acceptance of a product or its ingredients. The study predicts that the demand for natural foods will increase, especially in Chinese markets, which has significant potential for food manufacturers.

The studies also identified that consumers tend to avoid food products associated with scientific terms as they do not perceive them as natural. Certain consumers also try to avoid products with artificial sweeteners as they consider them as unhealthy or too sweet to consume.

Symrise Flavour Global Purchasing senior vice-president Mathias vom Weg said: “Natural foods offer an enormous growth market with great opportunities for manufacturers.

“The challenge is to ensure naturalness throughout the value chain. We focus on transparency and traceability. With clear guidelines, we ensure that our suppliers meet our requirements for naturalness.”