An ACNielsen survey reveals the vast majority of consumers are purchasing more functional foods since 2005. 97% of consumers say they have bought some food with an added health benefit.
The survey, part of a Nielsen Global Survey, polled 1,000 British consumers asking if they purchased foods with a specific health benefit, whether it was a naturally occurring benefit or due to added ingredients.
"Whole grain/high fibre" were most commonly bought products, with 83% of respondents saying they purchased either sometimes or regularly. Only 10% said they bought "very occasionally". Probiotic yoghurts were popular, with 84% having purchased them and a third regularly buying them.
Eight out of 10 said they had bought cholesterol-reducing foods. However, the overall upward sales trend in functional foods was balanced by the fact the number of consumers making regular purchases is unchanged since the 2005 survey.
But there has been significant growth in "light purchasing". While only 7% bought fortified milk regularly, 41% said they sometimes buy it - up a quarter in two years.
Nielsen said the functional food market, worth £400m, had grown 5% in two years.
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