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11.04.2004

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For more Hartman Group articles on FOOD CULTURE, click here...

October 26, 2004 "What If It's Not About the Food After All"

September 23, 2004 "Asian Dinner Mixes & the Family Meal: Evolving Food Culture"

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Trans Fats: the (consumer) Issue That Never Was

Food industry giants are leading the way in being proactive about reducing or eliminating trans fats from their products. Kraft, Frito-Lay, Campbell's, and Nestle have each taken steps to either reduce trans fats in their products or eliminate them altogether.

For example, Kraft has introduced three varieties of Oreo cookies that contain no trans fats, and Frito-Lay is placing a "0 grams trans fat" message on the package of several snack lines that have no trans fats. Granted, some of these "proactive" measures were nudged along by a small, but vocal activist group and its high-profile lawsuits; to date, however, there has been no widespread public reaction at the shelves to trans fats or the food companies that use them.

Our preliminary consumer research shows that the majority of consumers are not yet actively avoiding trans fats. While a majority of consumers say they have heard of trans fats (87%), only 41% say they are "very concerned" about them. In fact, most people don't know what they are, as this typical remark demonstrates: "I am not really sure [what trans fats are], I just know it is supposed to be bad for my health."

Indeed, the vast majority of our survey respondents reported being "concerned" about "trans fats" but very few were able to present a definition that is consistent with that offered by nutritionists, the FDA or others in the medical community. It is clear that the majority of those who report being concerned about their trans fat intake have only a vague definition of "trans fats" and thus are often unable to distinguish between this fat and others (e.g., Omega 3 fats) that most nutritionists agree are good for one's health. This finding is important as it suggests that most consumers currently do not have enough knowledge to create a strategy that will allow them to effectively distinguish "bad" fats from "good" fats. Without the ability to tell one fat from another, most consumers will lump all fats together and seek better health by attempting to balance overall fat intake against the intake of other nutrients. Seeking this kind of "balance," however, is hardly sufficient to send one out of their way looking for a substitute to a favorite brand of cookies or chips, especially when substitutes are often more expensive.

Furthermore, in-depth interviews with consumers clearly show that most people wait for some event to trigger them to stop buying products that contain trans fats. The following events or "triggers" are those that typically motivate behavioral change:

Diagnosis of an illness
Diagnosis of an illness in a loved one
Birth of a child
Influence and advice of a social network

To be sure, there are always the people leading the trends who fully understand what trans fats are, how they are created, and why they can cause heart disease. In time, knowledge and behavior change will spread to the rest of the population. But, if the industry trend to eliminate trans fats continues, it is very likely that the industry itself will have pre-empted any major consumer backlash at the register.

That will be good news for food companies, of course, but also good news for consumers. After all, who wants to give up dunking their Oreos?

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