Data from product intelligence business Vypr found that consumers want to eat less Ultra Processed Foods (UPF) but are not willing to pay more for them.
Deven in ten (71%) consumers said they were concerned about the health impact of UPF, while six in ten (61%) admitted they are likely to reduce their consumption this year.
The latest Consumer Horizon report, which received 10,000 consumer responses, found 41% of consumers would pay nothing extra for a product free from ultra-processed ingredients, while a further 44% would accept a premium of only up to 10%. Just 16% would pay more than 10%.
Cost was identified as the biggest barrier preventing consumers from reducing their UPF intake, cited by 21% of respondents.
This was followed by satisfaction with current diets (17%), lack of knowledge (15%), a lack of suitable alternatives (8%) and difficulty finding non-UPF products in store (8%).
The research found that clean-label messaging alone was unlikely to justify higher prices.
When consumers were asked how much they would pay for a four-pack of bread buns carrying the on-pack claim “Only 9 ingredients”, willingness to pay was almost identical to an unlabelled version across every price point tested.
Vypr findings suggested the biggest commercial opportunity for food manufacturers lies not in premiumisation but in delivering reformulated products at near price parity with existing ranges.
Ben Davies, founder of Vypr, said: “The findings highlight a widening gap between consumer attitudes and purchasing behaviour. While concern over UPFs continues to rise, driven by media coverage and growing public awareness, shoppers still expect healthier alternatives to remain affordable. Consumers see cleaner, less processed food to be the norm rather than a premium proposition.”
The research also pointed to an opportunity for manufacturers and retailers to simplify how products are communicated.
Only 40% of shoppers said they found it easy to distinguish between UPF and less processed foods when shopping, while more than a third (36%) were unsure and almost a quarter said they find it difficult.
The report also found that consumers respond better to specific ingredient claims than broad clean-label messaging.
It found that “Sugar-free” was the most influential front-of-pack claim, selected by 25% of shoppers, ahead of “no artificial flavours” (18%), “additive-free” (15%) and “preservative-free” (12%).
Davies added: “The UPF debate has moved beyond awareness and into expectation. Consumers increasingly assume manufacturers should be doing the hard work of reformulating products without asking shoppers to foot the bill. That creates a significant commercial opportunity for brands that can remove unnecessary ingredients, keep prices competitive and communicate those improvements clearly on pack.”
