Relieving Stress For Shoppers With Food Allergies And Restrictions
By Paul Milner, Displaydata
Many of today’s shoppers are extremely conscientious of the food they eat, now more than ever. This is especially true for the 15 million Americans and 17 million Europeans living with food allergies, and the millions of other shoppers who have implemented dietary changes to alleviate non-allergy health issues or to simply eat healthier and cleaner.
In the U.S., brands are required by law to list the top eight allergens on food packaging, as well as items packaged and labeled at the store. These foods include milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish. Because even trace amounts of these food allergens can cause allergic reactions, the “precautionary labels” that are currently used may not be enough. Many consumers now demand more detailed and thorough information from brands to ensure they know exactly what is in the food they buy.
The Food Marketing Institute currently recommends grocery retailers establish a four-part plan for informing consumers of allergens and handling possible cross-contaminations in the store, consisting of:
1. Transparent communication with consumers of potential allergen risks.
2. Staff training on allergens and allergen management program.
3. Accurate labeling to inform shoppers of potential allergens and meet federal guidelines.
4. Developing retail operations to quickly manage allergen spills and train to avoid cross-contamination in cooking demonstrations.
Grocery shopping with an allergy or dietary restrictions can be stressful and difficult, but retailers can implement in-store technologies and programs to reduce that burden on their consumers. With active and transparent communication, these technologies provide the food allergen information consumers need to ensure they are getting the best, and healthiest, shopping experience.
Providing Resources To Consumers
While brands do include potential food allergens on their packaging, it can be difficult for some shoppers to locate and reach items on the top or bottom shelves to review the ingredients on the labels or find the information difficult to locate or read. By providing detailed product information directly on digitally-enabled labels, consumers can more easily review ingredients and verify that it meets their allergy or dietary needs. For further precaution, retailers can work with brands to let shoppers know if the product was processed in a factory that also processes potential food allergens. This can be achieved through in-store technologies, such as electronic shelf labels (ESLs) that allow retailers to share product and allergen information (including country of origin and much more), as well as up-to-date pricing and promotion information, directly on the shelf edge at the point of decision.
For added convenience, ESLs also can enable retailers and brands to share recipes, meal recommendations or special promotions based on a shopper’s allergy or dietary needs via a QR code on the label. This approach is a win-win for both consumers and retailers — it takes the stress out of shoppers’ meal planning and establishes the retailer as a trusted resource for future shopping trips.
Improving The Prepared Foods Section
Purchases of prepared foods and meals are up 30% since 2008, specifically among Millennials. In light of this increase, grocers need to be especially candid in the labeling of delicatessen and prepared foods to meet the needs of their shoppers’ diet restrictions. These sections don’t always have the luxury to rely on pre-printed brand packaging, typically relying on store associates to update labels every day based on the scheduled offerings for that day. This, of course, takes valuable time away from assisting customers.
Not only are Millennials more inclined to buy prepared foods at the grocery store, according to a recent study by Mintel, they are also more likely to be concerned with harmful ingredients in their foods, often opting for “free-from” foods. As well, Millennials are more interested in purchasing foods that are likely to keep them full and energized and sourced sustainably, choosing quality over cost.
With Millennials twice as likely to distrust large food manufacturers, transparency about product information and ingredients in prepared foods is necessary for retailers and brands to reach this generation in the midst of their prime spending years. In-store technologies like ESLs allow retailers to include a wide range of relevant media and resources such as customer reviews, display sustainability information or source of origin, or by scanning a QR to see recipes. These in-store technologies help to build trust and improve customer interaction with this tech savvy, experience-driven generation.
Shopping with a food allergy or dietary restrictions can be time-consuming and challenging, but retailers and grocers now have the power to alleviate some of that stress for their shoppers. By providing detailed product and allergen information directly on the shelf edge, retailers will have happier and healthier shoppers who are bound to return again and again knowing they can access the information they need for their specific diets.
Paul Milner is the Marketing Director for Displaydata, the leader in the design and supply of fully graphic electronic shelf labels (ESLs). Milner is a senior retail marketing professional, with more than 20 years of experience helping business-focused brands introduce new solutions and concepts to their markets. Prior to working with Displaydata, Milner served as the Enterprise Solutions Marketing Manager, EMEA, for Zebra Technologies. There he was responsible for developing and executing the company’s EMEA GTM strategy for retail. Milner has also held senior marketing roles with Motorola Solutions, Wincor Nixdorf, Canon Europe and Sharp Electronics.