sodium claims’ do not motivate consumers
Regardless of what they tell you in surveys, many consumers react negatively to ‘low salt/sodium’ messaging on pack, underscoring the need for a stealthy approach to sodium reduction, Unilever told FNCE delegates on Sunday.
Senior nutrition manager Barbara Ledermann said: “Explicitly claiming x% less salt is not motivating for consumers.”
Indeed, such messaging can even influence taste perception, she said, citing recent research in which consumers asked to taste identical soups rated those featuring sodium labels as “less tasty” (even though the sodium content was in fact identical).
Meanwhile, the results of a large international consumer survey published in the journal Appetite in August revealed that one third of consumers are not interested in salt reduction, while the majority are not aware of recommended intakes in any given market, she said.
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