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November 11, 2005 – Do you care about the quality, origin and processing method of the food you buy at the grocery store? Know that you are part of an increasingly marked trend in food: ingredient.
The result of the contraction of the terms “ingredients” and “conscience”, ingredient is a neologism that defines all the behaviors, opinions and attitudes that guide consumers towards healthier and more environmentally friendly food choices. .
“More than a simple attraction for organic products, the ingredient calls for real research on the part of the consumer to know what he eats and how the food has been treated from ground to table”, explains Frédéric Blaise, President of Enzyme communication marketing1.
Choices fueled by panic
This new phenomenon would be the result of the panic generated by the media coverage of GMOs, mad cow crises and avian flu, according to this observer. “This panic has triggered awareness among consumers,” he says.
Ingredience is primarily based on concerns about the safety of the food you put in your fridge or pantry. But the dimension of pleasure will have to be integrated into it in the more or less near future. “For the moment, the consumer is at the same time distracted, confused and warned as regards food, notes Frédéric Blaise. In a next phase, he will be better informed and will seek to regain the pleasure of eating. This is a challenge for the food industry and nutrition professionals.
In this regard, he believes that nutritionists must continue to encourage the adoption of healthy eating habits, without neglecting this new concept. “They must better understand this basic trend of ingenuity and avoid having a moralistic approach: there is nothing worse than that”, warns Frédéric Blaise, himself a graduate in nutrition.
He will also take advantage of conferences he will give shortly to educate Quebec nutritionists on the importance of taking into account the opinions and attitudes of their clients. “Ingredience shows that we must apply the precepts of nutrition to the reality of each one,” he emphasizes.
More than just a fashion?
Frédéric Blaise maintains that ingenuity constitutes a tidal wave. According to him, nearly two-thirds of Quebec women say they are sensitive or very sensitive to this phenomenon, which has shown sustained growth for three years, especially among women who are in their thirties.
“Ingredience doesn’t just affect individuals,” he concludes. It is also forcing companies to redesign their products to address this concern. This is what tells us that the transformation is a long term one. “
Frédéric Blaise will give three public lectures on November 15, 16 and 23, respectively at McGill University, at the University of Montreal, then at the Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods at Laval University (INAF) thanks to the support of Commensal restaurants2.
Martin LaSalle – PasseportSanté.net
1. Enzyme communication marketing is a consulting company specializing in the analysis of consumer behavior and the influence of brands.
2. The Commensal restaurants are a subsidiary of the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation as is PasseportSanté.net.