Understanding Shoppers with Food Allergies

The average American is concerned about food safety, with recent recalls raising flags amongst shoppers and diners. But food poisoning, while certainly unpleasant, is not fatal for the vast majority of those who contract it. Concerns about contamination, however, are a very different story for those with food allergies.  

Food allergy families skew younger, middle-income and urban

Theories about what causes food allergies vary, but they’re not confined to one particular demographic. In fact, the demographic profile of consumers with food allergies in their household is similar to the U.S. in general. Of course, this group is not solely representative of those with allergies themselves: 65% of the cohort say it’s they themselves who have an allergy, while others say it’s their spouse, partner, child or someone else. That said, often families change their eating habits to account for a household member with an allergy, particularly if it’s a severe one. So it’s safe to assume that many of these consumers are at least considering food allergies in their shopping and consumption, even if not for themselves.

There are some subtle differences in demographics, the biggest difference being between older and younger generations. Millennials and Gen Zers are overrepresented in the food allergy group compared with Gen Xers and baby boomers. The same is true for urbanites and middle-income families.

In some cases, the difference might be a matter of diagnosis. With awareness of food allergies more prevalent now than in the past, it may simply be true that more young people are aware of a specific trigger. Similarly, urban dwellers or those in middle-income households may have better access to diagnostic healthcare to identify an allergy. Either way, these consumers are slightly more likely to be attuned to messaging around allergens and the overall contamination of food products.

Food allergy families are more safety conscious than others

The share of consumers with food allergies is no small number. And while there is a spectrum of severity when it comes to allergies, for many of these consumers an unexpected or unlabeled ingredient can prove to be incredibly dangerous. As a result, this group is comparatively more concerned about food safety than the general public. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of those with food allergies in their household are “somewhat” or “very” concerned about food safety in general, compared with 62% of U.S. adults in general.

Notably though, this concern doesn’t translate to a lack of trust in the food and beverage industry. Among those with food allergies in the household, 20% say they trust the industry to provide safe products “a lot” — the same share as the general public. And while they’re 2 points less likely to say they trust the industry “some,” it falls within the margin of error, reflecting an overall alignment with U.S. adults as a whole.

While trust in the industry as a whole may not be a concern, it’s not equal for all sectors of the industry. Consumers with allergies in their households are more likely to trust than not overall, but the sector with the biggest lack of trust is packaged foods. It’s logical for this group, who are less likely to find a hidden or unmarked allergen in fresh produce than packaged cereal, but a stark reminder for brands in this category to clearly label and communicate any potential allergens to avoid issues and continue to build trust.

One other noteworthy point is that food allergy families are equally concerned about potential undisclosed allergens at restaurants as they are in packaged food. This suggests that brands across all sectors of the industry need to be aware of these concerns and be prepared to clearly communicate ingredient lists to concerned consumers.

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