CHAPEL HILL,
N.C. – Citing new research conducted by The NPD Group, QSR Magazine reports
that consumer choice of restaurant and menu items is not influenced by a specific
food or beverage ingredient.
Additionally,
while consumers are expressing a desire to live a healthier lifestyle, that is
having minimal influence on a choice of restaurant or menu item, as a small
percentage of those surveyed said they seek nutritional information such as
calories (20%), fats (13%) or sweeteners (10%).
“Pick up a
menu today at any popular family restaurant and you’ll see nutrition facts to
meet the need of rising consumer awareness around healthier eating,” said Aron
Levin, associate professor of marketing and director of the Marketing Research
Partnership Program at Northern Kentucky University. “However in the moment of
truth, consumers really don’t avoid the foods they say they will.”
Consumers
did not express concern for a specific type of sweetener, with high fructose
corn syrup (HFCS) mentioned by less than 1% of respondents, and only 4% saying
they specifically visited a restaurant because it had removed HFCS from its
menu.
“Restaurant
owners should consider these results before investing substantially in revising
recipes or revamping menus,” Levin said. “This especially holds true when
making considerations at the ingredient level, as specific as the type of
sweetener.”
The research
was commissioned by the Corn Refiners Association.