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The many ways public's health concerns also concern QSR operators

The effects of the public's many concerns around health and wellness issues have on all restaurant operation today, including QSRs, should not be underestimated, according to a panel on nutrition and wellness trends at the National Automatic Merchandising Association show in Las Vegas.

May 6, 2019 by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Editor's note: A previous version of this story recently appeared on QSRweb sister site, Food Truck Operator. 

The food we choose to eat impacts everything from our health to the choices we make about the businesses we patronize. And today, with the renewed national focus on health, wellness, environment and even health care costs, those consideration are becoming even more important and that's changing the world QSRs operate in. 

As food policy consultancy, SR strategy LLC President Sylvia Rowe recently put it, "Trust and transparency are absolutely pivotal to the dialog out there." 

Rowe recently moderated a panel on nutrition and wellness trends at the National Automatic Merchandising Association show in Las Vegas and said nutrition and wellness have become broader topics today, given the different values people assign to food.

For example, she said health concerns have driven greater production of fruits and vegetables, which in turn raises concerns about how agriculture production affects the environment. Food production practices also impact public concern about animal rights and child welfare. She said that overall, the subjects of both nutrition and wellness now have truly become political "hot buttons." 

Obesity concerns continue to dominate

Among all of the issues related to food, obesity and other health concerns related to consumption remain paramount, Rowe said. While childhood obesity became a controversial issue in the U.S. 15 years ago, she said the problem remains critical as obesity rates continue to rise nationally along with associated health care costs. 

Panelist Lucille Beseler, a registered dietitian and president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, agreed with Rowe on the seriousness of food-related illnesses, as her South Florida nutrition practice sees thousands of clients annually. Beseler said there are more illnesses occurring in people of all ages. Besides obesity, more people have Type 2 diabetes, she said.

One factor contributing to obesity and other food-related illnesses is the increase in food eaten away from home. The average U.S. household spends $3,365 annually on food prepared away from home, Beseler said.

"This is the generation that doesn't cook," she said. "It (food) has to be easily accessible to them."

Health awareness has increased among people of all ages, Beseler said. More people are paying attention to their eating habits because they want to stop taking medication, she said, while pediatricians no longer tell telling parents that it's okay to let children eat snacks.

Healthier choices emerge

The panelists said one area where foodservice plays an important role is in the introduction of healthier snack foods. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds are used in more snacks. Aside from those with related allergies, these foods are healthful. Thus, fruit and vegetable smoothies have emerged as a way to consume less sugar.

"It's less emphasis on those sugar-laden beverages," Beseler said.

Plant-based diets, including whole grains, have also come into vogue, Beseler said.

"These grains have been shown to lower cholesterol and triglycerides," she said.

Ketogenic diets, which emphasize carbohydrates from vegetables grown above the ground, have also become popular.
"Keto is here to stay," agreed panelist David Grotto, a registered dietitian and a senior wellbeing business partner at the Kellogg Co. He said diet trends have a big impact on foodservice. 

The panelists also agreed that consumers are gravitating to more natural sweeteners.
Grotto said the average U.S. consumer eats 80 grams of sugar per day, compared to the 30 grams that nutritionists recommend.

Consumers still want sweet, savory

While healthy diets are popular, Grotto pointed out that when it comes to away-from-home dining, "sweet and savory" remain the leading drivers of choice. Hence, foodservice operators face the dual challenge of addressing peoples' health concerns and their preference for food that tastes good. Overall, taste and enjoyment drive consumption rather than nutrition, he said.

"Our challenge is how do you make 'better for you' sexy," Grotto said.

One problem, Rowe noted, is that consumer habits are largely influenced by celebrities and not scientists.
Ron Moore, NAMA vice president of public relations, said the association continues its efforts to engage the food industry to address consumer health concerns. In 2005, NAMA introduced its "Fit Pick" program that tags snacks based on nutrition content.

The panelists agreed that food manufacturers are trying to use "clean" labels in response to consumer interest in food ingredients, but they encounter the problem of inconsistent or non-existent definitions for terms such as "clean."
Moore said many young consumers want to see not only clean labels, but they want to be able to pronounce the ingredients listed on the labels, and they want no more than four ingredients per label.

As foodservice operators continue to address various public concerns related to food, they need to be able to balance what consumers want to eat against what they consider best for their health, their community and the environment.

Photo: iStock

About Elliot Maras

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Elliot Maras is the editor of Kiosk Marketplace and Vending Times. He brings three decades covering unattended retail and commercial foodservice.