Trend towards healthier eating ‘unstoppable’

Quality, healthy food demanded as fast food replaces home meal prep.

Hospitality magazine reports that the most recent ‘Fast Food in Australia’ study, by industry analyst and forecaster BIS Shrapnel, predicts the trend towards healthier eating will prove to be just as sustained as in Britain where the trend looks ‘unstoppable’.

Dr Sandro Mangosi – author of the report – says consumers are increasingly opting for low-fat, lean and additive free, low-salt and ‘light’ products. 50% of consumers interviewed look for ‘diet’ products.

“We are now living in a society of time-starved consumers looking for convenience food prepared in foodservices outlets and eaten either on foodservice premises or in the home……Cooking has become more of a hobby than a necessity for many consumers,” he says.

In a further indication of this trend the survey showed that fizzy drinks were losing appeal, while sales of bottled flat water had increased by more that 30 per cent since the last survey in 2002. Over the same period yoghurt sales had increased by 44 per cent, vegetable salads by 39 per cent and fruit salads by 25 per cent.

How are you eating? Do you have business plans based on the new trends? We’d love to hear…