Abstract
The expansion of thinking from treating disease to increased concern with disease prevention and health maintenance is reflected in the growing market for natural foods and dietary supplements. These new products make the already complex task of food shopping even more confusing. Inexperienced consumers will require help to evaluate these new choices, creating challenges for health care providers and the food industry. This article helps readers make sense of these new products by providing a general overview of the natural foods category. Discussed are the complexities consumers face when shopping for food and related products, definitions relevant to natural foods, trends in natural foods consumption, and future trends in this area, including the impact of genetically modified foods.
The natural foods industry has been one of the shining stars of food manufacturing and retailing over the past decade as an ever-growing segment of the U.S. population seeks out organic and natural foods and nutraceuticals. The consumer motivations fueling this industry are varied and range from securing the practical benefits of a healthy diet to the psychological benefits of leading a particular lifestyle.
To support the diffusion throughout the U.S. population of this more holistic approach to health, the industry and health care professionals must help consumers make sense of the confusing array of product offerings. The newest consumers entering these markets will be less involved and committed than the pioneering consumers were, and they will have different motivations. These late adopters will look to the industry, regulators, and their health care providers to make sense of these often complex and contradictory product offerings. Consider, for example, a consumer trying to understand the differences between a natural food and a genetically modified nutraceutical, both promoting health benefits. As discussed earlier, the food shopping process is already very noisy, and the winners in natural foods will be the ones that help consumers solve their food purchasing problems. This problem will be complicated as mass retailers offer more organic and natural foods and nutraceuticals, along with their conventional products, confronting a broader cross-section of consumers further.
Perhaps the greatest challenge facing the stakeholders in this arena is the evolution of genetically modified foods. By definition, these foods are certainly not organic and probably not natural, yet may offer health benefits. To date, the introduction of genetically modified foods has been difficult because consumers have not been properly educated about these new technologies. The industry must pay more attention to conducting reliable studies of these products and then communicating the results.