Fiber-maxxing may be all the rage, but confusion over where to find fiber, how to identify it on pack and how much is recommended is holding back consumers who want to eat more of the nutrient, revealing a branding and communication gap for food manufacturers, according to new research by the International Food Information Council.
“Despite decades of dietary guidance, fiber and whole grain intake in the United States remain chronically low,” with fewer than 10% of women and just 3% of men consuming the daily recommended amount of fiber, according to IFIC’s Spotlight Survey: American’s Perceptions of Fiber and Whole Grains, published earlier this month.
The shortcoming is not due to a lack of awareness of fiber’s benefits, but rather where to find it and how to effectively incorporate it in their daily diets, reveals IFIC’s survey of 1,006 US adults conducted in late October.
This disconnect reveals a potentially powerful marketing opportunity for brands to more effectively call out fiber on the front-of-pack, while simultaneously supporting education efforts highlighting naturally fiber-rich foods, how much daily fiber is recommended and how to determine the exact amount in a product by looking at the Nutrition Facts label.
Why do consumers want more fiber?
Nearly three-quarters of Americans consider fiber healthy, with 28% saying they eat fiber to support overall gut health, 25% reporting they do so to feel fuller longer and 24% to “stay regular,” according to IFIC. In addition, about one in five Americans say they consume fiber to support weight management, lower their blood pressure or improve their total and LDL or “good” cholesterol, it adds.
While fiber can help reduce the risk of heart disease, inflammation and colon cancer, only 16% to 18% of Americans cite these as reasons for consuming fiber.
Why don’t people eat enough fiber?
While many Americans know the benefits of fiber, one in three say they consume less 20 grams per day – which is well under the recommended amount of 14 grams per 1,000 calories consumed daily, or about 21-38 grams per day, the survey also revealed.
The survey chalks the gap up to “practical and knowledge-based obstacles,” including 30% of survey respondents who admit they don’t know which foods contain fiber.
Fewer than half of Americans identified fruits, vegetables grains as the best sources of fiber, and less than a third cited legumes, which are usually high in fiber, according to IFIC. In addition, it found about a quarter cited meat and seafood as a good source of fiber, while 19% cited dairy – none of which are good sources of fiber unless they are fortified.
For brands, these barriers point less to consumer apathy and more to fixable friction points around product positioning, education and taste.
Marketing matters – where do consumers look for information about fiber?
Misconceptions and misinformation about which foods contain fiber – and how to more effectively callout fiber content – can be traced back to where consumers look for nutrition information on packaging.
According to IFIC, only 17% of Americans say they check the Nutrition Facts label for dietary fiber. Far more – nearly three in ten – rely on front-of-pack claims, including 100% Whole Grain, No Added Sugar, Good or Excellent Source of Fiber and Heart Healthy.
The data suggestions that for many shoppers, purchase decisions based on fiber are made before they ever turn the package around.
This underscores the business benefits of highlighting fiber’s benefits on the front-of-pack, which may require meeting regulatory standards or qualifying for a trusted third-party certification.
An example of a potentially powerful third-party certification is Oldways Whole Grains Council stamps for products made with 100% or at least 50% whole grains. According to Oldways, 39% of consumers report seeing a Whole Grain Stamp would make them more likely to buy a product.
Claims highlighting fiber’s benefits beyond digestion also might help boost consumption of the nutrient, according to Mintel. It suggests claims about satiety, gut health, healthy aging, blood sugar management and reducing chronic inflammation could encourage more consumers to eat higher fiber foods.
Move beyond claims
While claims can be powerful, they may not be enough to close the fiber gap.
To help fiber “achieve mainstream success,” market research firm Mintel suggests brands choose “appropriate categories” for boosting fiber, such as breakfast foods and snacks.
Data from IFIC reinforces that more than a third of consumers (38%) perceive cereal as the best source for fiber. Comparatively, only 17% cite smoothies and shakes and only 16% list bars as the best source of fiber, even though these popular breakfast and snack foods can be high in fiber depending on the main ingredients.
Brands also must address consumers’ taste concerns about high-fiber food, according to Mintel. It recommends “clearly communicating positive flavor and other sensory attributes” associated with high fiber foods.
While IFIC found taste of high-fiber foods may discourage intake for 26% of consumers, research from Oldways suggests the barrier may not be as high as it once was. Rather, if found more people see the taste of whole grains, which are often higher in fiber, as a benefit versus a barrier.
Together, clearer communication, smarter category choices and improved flavor profiles suggest the fiber gap may be less a question of consumer resistance than brand execution.
