Beauty foods have yet to convince UK consumers

Beauty foods, or nutricosmetics, have frequently been touted as the next big thing. But a new report by market analyst Datamonitor suggests that UK consumers have not fully embraced the concept.

Interest in beauty foods clearly exists among UK consumers. A Datamonitor survey conducted in April and May 2009 found that only 27% were not interested in beauty foods. But nearly half (49%) admitted that, while they were interested in such products, they were not actively buying them.

Part of the reason, says Datamonitor, is the UK population’s lack of concern about their appearance; a survey in 2008 found that only 25% of Brits felt under pressure to look good. Financial and trust issues were also cited as major influences. “It is likely that the economic crisis has held back the industry significantly,” commented Mark Whalley, consumer markets analyst at Datamonitor and author of Opportunities in Heart Health: Consumer Attitudes & Behaviors. “People want to believe they can look better just by eating or drinking a product, but the truth is that many Brits are sceptical about this. Manufacturers must do all they can to convince people to really get behind beauty foods, because the interest is there.”

Whalley gave the example of endorsement from professional associations as one effective way of gaining this much needed consumer confidence.