Consumers on the lookout for "nutrient dense" products

An interesting trend may be on the horizon, according to the recently released report 10 Key Trends in Food, Nutrition and Health. The publication outlines what it sees as a particularly important piece of terminology: nutrient dense.

Foods with high levels of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals while having low calorie counts are considered to be nutrient dense. The term originated in the United States, where its popularity is currently rising, but this is likely to be significant for food manufacturers and marketers around the world.

This term, generally being used to indicate that a food is especially nutritional, is of interest to consumers who are increasingly interested in the quality and healthfulness of the food that they are eating. With changes in diets coming about from the COVID-19 pandemic, people are increasingly interested in healthy foods, and marketing terms that hone in on this will be popular in the future.

“Nutrient dense”, “nutrient density” and “nutritional density” are intentionally vague pieces of terminology that do not have a singular agreed upon definition, neither on consumer nor regulatory levels, which can be an attractive quality to marketers and consumers alike.

Dairy, meat and plant-based foods are all poised to capitalise on the term, as marketers aim to attract health-conscious consumers to these products. It is expected that a substantial number of these consumers — up to 30% — will respond positively to these terms, making them useful for products that are already boasting of healthy qualities.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/marilyn barbone