WASHINGTON – The number of American consumers who consider healthfulness when purchasing their food and beverages has shown a significant uptick in the past two years, according to the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation’s 2014 Food and Health Survey. American consumers’ perceptions and behaviors regarding the healthfulness of their diets and level of physical activity are among the survey’s most encouraging findings.

While taste and price consistently have been the top two factors that impact consumers’ food and beverage purchases (90% and 73% respectively), healthfulness in 2014 almost entirely closed the gap with price, rising from 61% of consumers in 2012 to 71% this year.

“While people’s attitudes about healthfulness in their food and beverage purchases and consumption alone don’t necessarily mean we are a healthier country today than we were a year or two ago, it could signal that we are moving in the right direction,” said Marianne Smith Edge, IFIC Foundation senior vice president for nutrition and food safety, in a press release. “If perceptions translate into actions, the impact on the health and wellness of our nation could be significant and long-lasting.”

Beneath the surface, certain subpopulations saw greater relative increases than others. Consumers between the ages of 18 and 34, who cite healthfulness as a driver of food and beverage purchases, increased from 55% in 2013 to 66% in 2014, significantly narrowing the gap with other age groups.

The nine-point increase among men from 56% last year to 65% this year registered a significant gain, as was the increase among those who are not college graduates, 67% of whom reported that their purchasing decisions were impacted by healthfulness, up from 61% in 2013.