Consumer Concerns about Nutrition: Opportunities for the Food Sector

The growing evidence of the link between diet and health has not been lost among consumers in the United States. As awareness of the diet-health link has increased, consumers have changed their diets. Although there is still considerable room for improvement in meeting Federal food-guidance recommendations, nutrition concerns have become an important factor in food choices. Both the food sector and the Federal Government have responded to consumer concerns about nutrition through improvements in the nutrient profile of food products and improved information on food labels. Technological advances in food processing have given the food industry new tools that are likely to accelerate the introduction of tasty healthier foods. Changes in what, where, and how food products are produced present unlimited opportunities for domestic and foreign producers and food manufacturers who can identify, respond to, or create new consumer food desires