Irish Adults' Expectations for Healthy Cereal-Based Snacks

British Food Journal
Consumers' expectations and needs towards healthy cereal based snacks: An exploratory study among
Irish adults
Emily C. Crofton Anne Markey Amalia G.M. Scannell
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Emily C. Crofton Anne Markey Amalia G.M. Scannell, (2013),"Consumers' expectations and needs towards healthy cereal
based snacks", British Food Journal, Vol. 115 Iss 8 pp. 1130 - 1148
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BFJ
115,8 Consumers’ expectations and
needs towards healthy cereal
based snacks
1130
An exploratory study among Irish adults
Emily C. Crofton
Institute of Food and Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Anne Markey
Department of Agri-Business and Rural Development,
University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, and
Amalia G.M. Scannell
Institute of Food and Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Abstract
Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine consumers’ perceptions and expectations towards
healthy snacks, with particular emphasis on the cereal snack market, and to explore new areas of
opportunities for healthy snacks by identifying consumer needs and wants.
Design/methodology/approach – Six focus group discussions were conducted to generate
attitudinal data across three different adult consumer groups.
Findings – Results revealed that consumers expected a healthy snack to contain low levels of
calories, fat, salt and sugar, and to contain high levels of whole-grain, oats, bran, nuts, seeds, pulses
and fruit, e.g. blueberries, cranberries, gogi berries. Additionally, healthy snacks were required to be
free from any artificial colours, sweeteners and flavours. Major factors encouraging healthy snack
consumption included reduced risk of weight gain, diabetes, heart burn and bloating. Conversely,
perceived taste, portion size, the lack of available convenient nutritional snacks, accessibility and
confusion over the credibility of the “healthy product” tag were the main factors preventing healthy
consumption in the adult population examined. Consumers expressed a desire for a wider choice of
filling snacks with specific health benefits for a variety of usage occasions, particularly those with
associated health claims such as “high fibre”, “omega 3 for mental health” and “reduces cholesterol”.
Research limitations/implications – The study sample size was not extensive and was limited to
a small geographical spread of Dublin and Meath on the East coast of Ireland. A more representative
sample of the entire Irish population could be the basis for further research.
Practical implications – These findings increase the understanding of current expectations of the
Irish adult consumer regarding healthy snack foods. They also highlight the potential new product
development opportunities for snack food manufacturers to explore.
Originality/value – The present paper focuses specifically on healthy snacks and contributes to a
limited amount of existing literature by providing consumer research for the development of new
healthy snack foods.
Keywords Snack food, Health, Consumer research, Consumer behaviour, New product development,
Ireland, Convenience foods, Personal health, Nutrition
British Food Journal Paper type Research paper
Vol. 115 No. 8, 2013
pp. 1130-1148
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0007-070X
This research has been funded under the Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM), which is
DOI 10.1108/BFJ-08-2011-0213 administered by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Ireland.
Introduction Consumers’
Healthy snacks expectations
Consumers demand for health and convenience is reflected in the growing number of
nutritionally beneficial snack products available on the market in recent years. In 2009,
the global market for healthy snack foods was estimated to be worth over $22 billion US
dollars, reflecting a substantial growth rate in a market that virtually did not exist 40
years ago. The number of healthy snacks available is also fast evolving with sales 1131
expected to increase by over a fifth by 2014 (just-food.com, 2010). Key drivers behind this
market are a greater consumer awareness of the negative health links between energy
dense snacks and diet related diseases (McIntyre and Baid, 2009) and an increased interest
by consumers in food products that offer health and wellness (Gray et al., 2003;
Scott-Thomas, 2009). While there is no internationally recognized definition to describe a

healthy snack, literature accepts that foods like fruit, vegetables and wholegrain cereals
are desirable snack options (World Health Organisation, 2006). One of the largest trends
emerging within this category of food is research into the development of innovative
cereal based snacks using a diverse range of specific nutritional and functional food
ingredients such as wholegrain, fibre, anti-oxidants and omega-3 (Boal, 2006; Dean et al.,
2007; Business Insights, 2008). Snack food manufacturers are moving away from
traditional snack foods formulated with relatively high levels of fat, salt, sugar etc.,
towards developing snack products with an overall healthier profile (Business Insights,
2008). Over the past decade there has been a steady increase in the number of consumers
demanding products with functional benefits throughout the Western world. The
meaning of what exactly constitutes a “functional food” varies widely, both from
researcher to researcher as well as between different cultures so that no standardised
definition currently exists for this group of food in published literature. For example,
Doyon and Labrecque (2008) propose that a functional food “is or appears similar to, a
conventional food. It is part of a standard diet and is consumed on a regular basis, in
normal quantities. It has proven health benefits that reduce the risk of specific chronic
diseases or beneficially affect target functions beyond its basic nutritional functions”.
Using this definition the authors suggest that foods such as all bran cereals or milk
enriched with omega-3 fatty acids are functional in nature while a low fat, low sugar
snack (e.g. cookie) comes under the umbrella of a “healthier alternative”, as it has no
specific health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Regardless of its lack of definition, the
market for functional foods continues to grow, particularly within Europe (Menrad, 2003).
Considerable growth opportunities exist for manufacturers in healthy snacking. Sloan
(2011) reports that four in every ten adults are demanding snacks with health enhancing
properties resulting in considerable growth opportunities for manufacturers of healthy
snack foods targeted at adults, but also at children (Krystallis et al., 2010). However,
while the economic outlook for this sector is very healthy going forward, relatively little
is understood about consumers’ expectations and perceptions relating to these products.
The research fostering a deeper understanding of consumer behaviour towards healthy
snacks is therefore both timely and necessary in order to design quality products that
satisfy consumer needs and maximise market potential (Bogue et al., 1999a).
Consumer-oriented new product development

Product innovation is recognised as a key factor affecting the market success of any
manufacturer within the food industry. However, the introduction of new food
products on consumer markets is risky, with the majority of products estimated to fail
BFJ within the first year of launching (Buisson, 1995). This has led to numerous authors
stressing the importance of incorporating the “voice of the consumer” during the new
115,8 product development process (Grunert and Valli, 2001; van Kleef et al., 2005). While
consumers have been traditionally involved in assessing pre-launch prototypes
(Buisson, 1995), in recent literature, there has been much more emphasis on also
involving the consumer in the initial stages of concept development to better address
1132 their needs, thus potentially improving post-launch product success. In the selection of
a new food product for consumption, consumer expectation has been shown to play a
crucial role (Cardello, 1993), and even though cereals have been successfully utilized as
a basis for healthy snack foods for many years, this does not predict consumer
acceptance of new cereals with added health benefits (Bogue et al., 1999a). In general,
the sensory properties of snacks are expected to be more appealing than basic foods,
with taste being described as the most critical attribute affecting consumer choice
(French et al., 1999). However, it is also a general perception among consumers that
“healthy option” snacks, be they wholegrain biscuits (Arvola et al., 2007) or snacks
containing low fat/low calories (Bogue et al., 1999b) have reduced taste and
pleasantness expectations. Furthermore, while health related messages on new snack
food increases purchase intent among consumers, it also weakens the impact on the
perceived pleasantness of the food, suggesting that nutritional information directly
influences sensory expectations (Tuorila et al., 1998).
An awareness of the health connotations attached to a food category and the
expected sensory attributes are crucial in determining consumer product acceptance.
For example, the pre-purchase intentions of functional food products were stronger for
orange juice than for apple pie as the consumer expected the latter to have lower
nutritional quality (Labrecque and Charlebois, 2011). That said, consumer acceptance
is determined by a complex interaction of a number of key factors which include taste
and product image, but also extrinsic factors such as brand, promotion and packaging
playing an important role (Bogue et al., 1999a). Urala and Lähteenmäki (2003) identified
factors including healthiness, taste, pleasure, security, convenience, price and
familiarity as central reasons for choosing functional foods.
Consumer behaviour
Consumer behaviour regarding selection of healthy products and functional foods is
not well documented within research literature. Previous studies have identified the
perceived health benefits of consuming functional products as the strongest factor
influencing purchasing decisions (Urala and Lähteenmäki, 2007). Consumers’ attitudes
and preferences towards healthy food products are closely related to demographic
variables such as age and gender (Tuorila et al., 1998; Roininen et al., 2001). For
instance, women have been described as more likely to comply with dietary guidelines
(Bogue et al., 2005) and have a more positive attitude towards the consumption of
healthy snack alternatives when compared with men (McIntyre and Baid, 2009). In
addition, older consumer groups have been shown to be more diet conscious and hence
more likely to make healthier snack choices compared with younger adults who are
more oriented towards unhealthy “comfort snacks” (Irish Universities Nutrition
Alliance (IUNA), 2001; Wansink et al., 2003). Therefore, understanding the different
nutritional needs and preferences of different consumers groups and tailoring products
to meet these needs could enhance product concept effectiveness and lead to increased
acceptability and probability of success of the final products within the marketplace
(Grunert and Valli, 2001).
An investigation into the attitudinal determinants of Irish consumers revealed Consumers’
considerable interest in products that may improve heart health (Bogue and Ryan,
2000). Cultural differences in consumer perception of functional cereal products have
expectations
been reported by a number of authors. For example, consumers in the UK and Italy
perceived cholesterol-lowering biscuits as being considerably more beneficial than did
Finnish and German consumers (Dean et al., 2007). Saba et al. (2010) also found Finnish
and German consumers to be more discerning in their choice of health foods, as they 1133
demonstrate a preference for strong health claims on product labels, while UK
consumers were happy to buy products with weak health claims. Of course not all
consumers will choose the healthy option and Gray et al. (2003) argue that a lack of
consumer awareness and mistrust towards the credibility of health claims are major
barriers to the uptake of functional food products. Over one third of consumers in a
global study conducted by ACNielsen, 2005 did not believe functional foods offered
additional health benefits, which is significant since, as pointed out by Siegrist et al.
(2008) consumers will only purchase products they believe will deliver the health
benefits claimed. While Bogue and Ryan (2000) reported that 90 per cent of Irish
consumers were aware of the general concept of a functional food, further exploration
revealed that consumers were unaware of functional ingredients such as wholegrain,
probiotics and omega-3 oils (Bogue and Sorenson, 2001). Careful dissemination of the
potential health benefits functional foods offer by producers could increase consumer
motivations to consume functional food products.
Consumers’ increasing interest in food products with added health benefits presents
new and promising market opportunities for healthy snack food in Ireland and other
countries. This study aims to qualitatively examine Irish consumers’ attitudes towards
healthy cereal based snack food and search for new areas of opportunities for healthy
snacks by identifying the needs and wants of targeted consumer groups.
Methodology: focus groups as a research method

Various researchers have recommended using the qualitative focus group method as a
means to identify factors affecting consumption behaviour and to generate consumer
data during the initial stages of product development (Harper and Makatouni, 2002;
Bogue and Yu, 2009). Focus groups are designed to explore consumer attitudes and
behaviours and are an excellent means in understanding the reasons why people think,
feel or act as they do (Krueger and Casey, 2000). Furthermore, focus groups can
identify potential new product opportunities a specific product category by exploring
the needs and wants of the consumer (van Kleef et al., 2005). This exploratory study
utilised the focus group method to gather in-depth attitudinal information on healthy
snacking and use the social interaction among a group of Irish participants to stimulate
ideas and thoughts for new healthy snack concepts.
Procedure
Six focus groups comprising of three male groups (n ¼ 21) and three female groups
(n ¼ 20) were conducted. In order to examine the expectations and needs of consumers
from different stages in lifecycle, participants were divided by gender into three
distinct age groups (18-24, 25-34 and 35-55). In the context of this study, participants
aged 18-24 are called “students”, participants aged 25-34 are called “young adults” and
participants aged 35-55 are called “older adults”. Snowballing techniques were used to
recruit the study sample. Initial contacts were asked to invite friends and colleagues
BFJ from the same age group to participate in the focus group. The participants lived in
either the Dublin or Meath area of Ireland. An overview of the study sample is
115,8 presented in Table I.
The focus group discussions were facilitated by a moderator leading the discussion
and an assistant researcher taking notes. Prior to the focus groups, all participants were
informed about the presence of a dictaphone for use in later transcription and analysis.
1134 There were between six and nine participants in each group. Focus group questions were
developed by the research team. The interview guide describing the sequence of
questioning is summarised in Table II. For each group the purpose of the study was
explained. Participants were first asked to describe a typical snack food as an
introduction for further discussions. After the general discussion about snack foods, the
participants were asked to discuss their views towards healthy snacks and functional
foods. The second part of the discussion focused on ways to improve existing
cereal-based snacks on the market to fit a healthier profile and opportunities for new
product development. Each focus group session lasted approximately one hour.
Data analysis
At the end of each focus group, the moderator and assistant researcher discussed the key
points and summarized the overall findings. In the following days, the focus group
sessions were transcribed verbatim to ensure systematic analysis of the results. The
Gender
Male Female Total participants Total no. of focus groups
Age (years)
Students (18-24 9 8 17 2
Table I. Young adults (25-34) 6 6 12 2
Overview of study Older adults (35 þ ) 6 6 12 2
sample Total 21 20 41 6
Topic Interview guide
Snacks Participants were asked to describe a typical snack product. Factors

affecting their snack choice were also discussed. Participants were also
asked to discuss how snacking fits into their everyday lives
Healthy snacking Participants were asked to describe what they would consider a healthy
snack/cereal snack product to be. Participants described and discussed
their views on current healthy snacks on the market. Barriers and benefits
to healthy snack consumption were also discussed
Functional foods Participants were asked whether they were attracted towards products
with extra health benefits. They were also asked which products they were
drawn to and why. Cereal based snacks with functional properties were
also discussed
Table II. Cereal-based snacks Participants discussed their satisfaction/dissatisfaction with buying
Interview guide for the common cereal-based snacks. Possible changes to current cereal-based
focus group discussions snacks on the market and new snack concepts were also discussed
transcripts and field notes were combined and read for overall content by the two Consumers’
researchers. Each transcript was then subjected to thematic analysis using the
framework of Krueger and Casey (2000). Thematic analysis is a qualitative method used
expectations
for “identifying, analysing and reporting patterns (themes) within data” (Braun and
Clarke, 2006). Every quote from each transcript was examined and subsequently coded if
it answered a research question of interest. A computer-based approach of the long table
method was then used to categorize results and identify emerging themes. A spreadsheet 1135
was created in Microsoft Excel(TM) which incorporated all coded quotes contributing to
each topic. An overall working document was then generated which identified themes
and facilitated response comparisons within groups and across age and gender (Krueger
and Casey, 2000). Each researcher independently wrote a descriptive summary of what
each group said in response to each question. Recurring themes were identified and key
quotes were highlighted to illustrate themes. Throughout this systematic process, the
research team met on a regular basis to discuss and validate the findings.
Results
What is a snack?
The words used to describe a “snack” were the same across all age groups and both
genders. Participants expected a snack to be a small, tasty, quick and convenient food
product which can be easily accessed and typically eaten between the conventional
mealtimes of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Participants often described a snack as
something that can accompany a drink such as tea, coffee or alcohol. Chocolate, crisps,
and cereal bars were foods frequently used to describe a typical snack product. Fruit
was also described as a snack but to a much lesser extent. Hunger, energy, stress,
boredom, and cravings were all mentioned as the primary reasons for snacking. A
“snack” was strongly associated with something enjoyable and many participants
stated that they often eat snacks for pleasure rather than hunger. The majority of
consumers indicated that if they craved a snack they would generally choose
something unhealthy, especially if they had to “go out of their way” to buy it.
While the majority of participants defined a “snack” as something eaten between
regular meals, a number of participants indicated that they often replace meals,
particularly breakfast, with snacks primarily because of time constraints in the
morning. Participants also stated that they were much more likely to replace a skipped
meal with healthy snack choices. Dinner was described as the least likely meal to be
replaced. Women from the young adult group stated that sometimes it was more
convenient to follow a snacking eating pattern because it allowed them to eat
“on-the-go”. The women also felt that snacking on smaller portions of food more
frequently throughout the day benefited them in terms of weight loss and decreased
their chances of feeling “bloated”. Interestingly, the men from the older adult group
discussed how they would prefer to eat smaller portioned meals more frequently
throughout the day as opposed to the traditional three square meals. The following
quotes are illustrative of these statements:
I eat five small meals a day when I’m on a diet (Female, young adult).
My wife likes the big meal and in fairness I would much prefer more small meals throughout
the day. Ok, you would want your dinner but other than that I could have a small breakfast
and a small lunch and then graze in between. You could have a reasonable dinner but not a
massive portion. You get tired as well after a big meal (Male, older adult).
BFJ Snack food choice was described as being dependant on the situation and participants
stated they would snack differently depending on the time of the day. Many
115,8 participants said they tend to choose healthier snacks in the morning and adopt more
unhealthy snacking patterns as the day progressed. Some participants found it difficult
to continue to motivate themselves to snack healthfully if they consumed an unhealthy
snack earlier that day: Illustrative quotes follow:
1136 The situation affects your snack choice and would determine it for me. Say I was playing a
game of golf, I would sooner think of sweets and chocolate for the sugar boost. Then in work I
might just have a cereal bar (Male, older adult).
I find when I’m not working, I graze throughout the day on bits and bobs, constantly (Female,
young adult).
Every day is the start of a new diet for me, but then I might be bad at lunch time and then I
just think, ah sure I will start again tomorrow (Female, older adult).
Healthy snacks: consumers’ health and nutritional expectations

Participants expected a healthy snack to be low in calories, fat (particularly saturated
fat), salt, and sugar and free from any artificial colours, sweeteners and flavours. Any
snacks that contained “whole-grain”, “fruit”, “oats”, “bran”, “nuts”, “seeds”, “raisins”,
“pulses” or “flaxseed” were considered healthy. Wholegrain and fibre foods were
associated with disease prevention and positive health consequences for intestinal
health: Two different participants stated.
Because there is a high incidence of bowel-cancer in my family, I would often look for a snack
that contained fibre or wholegrain instead of buying the normal option (Female, older adult).
I expect it (healthy snack) to be grainy and high in fibre. It (high fibre snack) would be a good
snack for the morning time to get the body going (Male, young adult).
Fruits with high antioxidant properties such as “cranberries”, “blueberries”,
“pomegranate” and “goji berries” were considered to be particularly healthy and
were described as beneficial in terms of overall health. Two female participants from
different consumer groups stated:
Some of my friends eat goji berries now. They are meant to be really healthy and they taste
really nice too. A natural energy boost (Female, student).
Blueberries and cranberries are so good for you. I turn to them when I have a kidney infection,
and they have loads of anti-oxidants to help clean out your system. All those kind of snacks
with berries and nuts are so healthy (Female, young adult).
Herbs and spices such as “chilli”, “paprika”, “turmeric” and “cinnamon” were perceived as
healthier flavouring or seasoning options for snack foods and were believed to have positive
effects on Alzheimer’s disease and thyroid function. The following quotes are from three
different female participants in the older adult group:
I recently heard that cultures which use a lot of cinnamon and turmeric in their cooking have
the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s disease (Female, older adult).
Chillies are great for your thyroid (Female, older adult).
I would not eat many crisps at all . . . If I was to eat crisps, it would usually be the ones with Consumers’
chilli because I think they are healthier (Female, older adult).
expectations
Participants indicated that a healthier snack would appear more “home-made” and
“natural” and expected the product to be “baked” or “not fried” or produced under
organic growing conditions. In general, participants viewed snacks that were coated in
yogurt as healthier compared with chocolate coated alternatives. There was a
difference in opinion among women from all groups about whether chocolate should be 1137
absent from a healthy snack. While some women expected a healthy snack to be
completely free of chocolate, others felt that snacks lightly coated in chocolate were a
great way to satisfy a craving without feeling too guilty:
I feel very satisfied after eating those rice cakes with chocolate when I’m on a diet because it is
only a little bit of chocolate (Female, young adult).
I do not see the point of putting chocolate and healthy together. I would stay clear from them
(types of snacks) if I wanted to snack healthy (Female, young adult).
The most frequently mentioned benefit associated with healthy snack consumption
was weight maintenance and many participants stated that this was the primary
reason for choosing healthy snack food. Other benefits frequency mentioned were a
reduced risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Another specific benefit
mentioned was the prevention of heart-burn. Some of the male participants said they
were prone to heart-burn on a regular basis. The men, particularly those from the
student and young adult group discussed how eating low fat snack varieties did not
give them heart-burn compared with unhealthy alternatives. The following is a
conversation between three male students:
If you have heart-burn then you need to start eating healthier snacks. I get real bad heart-burn
(Male, student 1).
Yeah, same here, heart-burn is the worst (Male, student 2).
It would be brilliant if there was a snack that got rid of heart-burn and tasted nice (Male,
student 3).
One male participant from the young adult group said:
They [low fat puffed crisps] are actually good if you suffer from heart-burn. If you do suffer
from heart-burn (which I do) I find that I don’t have heart-burn after. You don’t suffer after
eating them (Male, young adult).
Consumers’ perceptions of healthy snacks

“Taste” appeared to be crucial in making decisions about snack food choice and was
frequently mentioned as the primary reason for not choosing healthy snacks. Some
participants, particularly men, equated the word “healthy” with “boring”, “tasteless”
food. There was also a preconception that anything that appeared potentially healthy
would automatically taste bad. For the most part, snack products labelled as “fat-free”
or “sugar-free” did not appeal to men as they regularly described them as “free from
taste”. It was clear for all male participants that taste was more important than
healthiness and they were not willing to compromise on taste or flavours of snack food.
Older adult groups indicated that taste was the most important factor determining
what their children ate, although some participants stated that cartoon packaging was
BFJ also a major factor affecting snack consumption. The following are some illustrative
115,8 quotes representative from student and older adult groups:
If you are told (this) is the healthy option then you are automatically going to assume that it’s
not going to be as tasty (Male, student).
Snacks are meant to taste nice. I do not care about the calories; if it doesn’t taste nice then I
1138 will never buy it again (Male, young adult).
[For my child] it boils down to taste at the end of the day, although the only reason he wants
cheese strings for his lunch is because of the picture on the front of it. That is all he wants,
although he does still eat it (Female, older adult).
Healthy snacks were strongly associated with a higher “price” tag. Although all
participants noted that healthy snacks were generally more expensive, only students
groups said that it would impact on their snack food choice. Participants from the
young adult and older adult groups said they were prepared to spend more on a snack
if they thought they were “getting more out of it”. There was also a perception that
snacks which appeared healthy but were priced cheaper than the competitors were
indicative of lesser quality. Furthermore, young and older adult groups associated
expensive snack foods with a higher level of research and an overall healthier product.
The following quotes are illustrative of these statements:
It is nearly imprinted in you that if you see a healthy product that is cheap then there must be
something wrong with it. You always associate price to healthiness (Male, young adult).
I presume that because they are more expensive that a lot more research had been done on
them and therefore they are better for you. But when I am eating chocolate and crisps I know
they are not good for me, unless it is dark chocolate and you’re spending a lot more money on
it (Female, older adult).
The “portion size” of certain healthy snack alternatives was mentioned as a barrier to
healthy consumption by all male groups. Men indicated this as one of the main reasons
for not buying them:
You only get two bites out of cereal bars (Male, student).
The “lack of available” nutritional snacks on the market was mentioned as barrier to
consumption by all groups apart from male students. Participants also said they
expected difficultly in locating healthy snacks within a convenience shop. One
participant said:
In the evening time I would like to eat a healthy snack instead of going for the chocolate bar
but it’s just the hassle of it. It is just so much easier to get a snack that’s unhealthy in the local
shop (Female, young adult).
Both genders from the young and older adult groups also discussed the position of
healthy snacks within the supermarket. They felt that healthier options are often
grouped together in one section of the supermarket which they often pass by or ignore
looking for other product categories. However, if healthier snacks were displayed
alongside unhealthy alternatives, participants expected to find it more challenging to
resist temptation. One participant said:
I love biscuits but I never think to buy biscuits from the health section of the shop. If they Consumers’
(biscuits) were put in the aisle with all the other biscuits, I might look at them. Maybe I would
choose the healthier option then (Female, older adult). expectations
Women from both young and older adult groups discussed how they have become
more conscious while shopping, saying that they would be “embarrassed” to bump into
a friend if they had a shopping basket “full of junk”.
Participants, particularly females, felt it was a challenge to balance convenience with 1139
nutrition and said they would like to see more convenient snacks with nutritional claims.
Also, male participants felt that many of the healthy snack alternatives available are
aimed towards women. Male participants indicated that they liked many of the low fat
puffed crisps available on the market but sometimes described them as “women’s crisps”.
Male students in particular said they would not buy such products for this reason:
It is annoying that most of the healthy cereal bars are for women (Male, student).
Those low fat crisps have purple writing all over the packet, no way I would buy them (Male,
student).
Concerns over mixed health messages

All groups apart from the male students indicated they are becoming increasingly
sceptical towards the accuracy of health claims and the number of snack products
claiming to be “healthy”. While cereal bars were generally described as a healthy
snack, many participants expressed concern about the quality of some cereal bars on
the market and in particular the use of artificial sweeteners. One student said:
Some of them [cereal bars] are full of those fake sugars andglucose syrup and all that stuff
and way too sweet, even the flavouring of the cereal bars that they sell in the vending
machine in college, the fruit in the middle of them has a really fake taste and all highly
coloured (Female student).
Parents from older adult groups also voiced their concern over the level of “hidden”
unhealthy ingredients found in many of the snack foods advertised to children as
healthy alternatives. One female participant said:
I used to buy those cereal bars initially for my kids but then I heard that they weren’t that
good so I stopped buying them (Female, older adult).
While parents with children in primary level education spoke very positively about
certain healthy eating policies implemented in the school, they said it was challenging
to ensure that lunch box snacks included healthy options. The following is a
conversation among male participants from the older adult group:
A lot of the snacks aimed at kids are absolute rubbish, full of sugar and whatever else (Male,
older adult 1).
And they are ridiculously expensive (Male, older adult 2).
My wife asks me to go down the shop to buy cereal bars and cheese strings for my child’s
lunchbox and it annoys me because they are not even healthy (Male, older adult 3).
Parents with children in second level education that had permission to leave the school
premises during lunch hour were concerned about the types of food their children ate.
One participant said:
BFJ That is a disaster altogether when the kids are allowed out of the school (during lunch hours).
You see them leaving the schools and they are straight up to the shop buying breakfast rolls,
115,8 wedges and other rubbish (Male, older adult).
Some participants said they often experience difficulty in understanding what exactly
constitutes a healthy snack based on nutritional information and suggested that health
claims should be short, to the point and easy to understand:
1140
I find it hard to understand the information at the back of a food packaging. I did the
weight-watchers thing a few years ago with a friend. He could tell if the product was low in
fat but then high in carbohydrates which apparently defeats the purpose. So how do you
know what is healthy and what is unhealthy. I don’t know (Male, older adult).
You don’t want a snack that will to promise you the moon and the stars because you’re not
going to believe it if it does (Female, young adult).
Attitudes towards functional cereal snacks

The majority of participants did not recognize the term “functional food”. Once the
term was explained by the researcher, participants often described popular dairy
products on the market and the advertisements shown on TV. Products bearing the
health claims “one of your five a day”, “high fibre”, “cholesterol lowering”, “omega 3’s”
and “good bacteria” were the most familiar across consumer groups although
knowledge of the actual ingredients used and subsequent health benefits obtained from
eating such foods was relatively low. The importance of the health claim was
dependent on its relevance to that person. While students indicated that they often
consume functional food products at home, it seemed it was more for taste than the
actual health benefits. Many students, particularly males said they would not buy
functional food products and it was just an “added bonus” that they were “good for
you”. Some male students said that functional foods were “not for our age group”. In
contrast, the majority of participants from the young and older adult groups spoke
very positively about functional foods and many consumers claimed to consume dairy
based functional products on a daily basis. Young and older adult groups associated
functional foods with cold and disease prevention. Illustrative quotes follow:
Cholesterol is not always about what you eat as well, sometimes you are destined to get high
cholesterol so you have to watch what you eat, I have a (cholesterol lowering drink) every
morning before going to work just in case (Male, young adult).
Every time I have a sore throat or a cold I take two [probiotic containing drinks] a day and I
can feel myself getting better (Male, older adult).
I always think while I’m eating those yoghurts with the friendly bacteria (probiotic) that . . . I
am getting something from this food, that this product is good for me (Female, older adult).
In general, all non-male students groups spoke very positively about the idea of cereal
snacks with added health enhancing ingredients. In fact, the majority of participants
could not understand why you would not want a product with added health benefits.
Cereal snacks with claims such as “omega 3 for mental health”, “high fibre”, “reduces
cholesterol” were particularly attractive among young and older adult groups.
However, while participants said they would like to see more snack products on the
market with functional benefits, they noted that they usually purchase snack food for
taste and convenience rather than health benefits and it was therefore paramount that Consumers’
the taste of the snack was not compromised.
expectations
Comparisons across age and gender
Women displayed more positive attitudes towards healthy snacking and greater
intentions to choose a healthy snack than their male counterparts. For women, healthy
snack choice was generally based on physical appearance and body image and 1141
therefore they were more drawn to snack products with “low fat”, “low calorie” health
claims. Female participants from the student and young adult group frequently
mentioned the calorie and fat content of snacks as having an influence over their snack
choice. Although female older adult groups considered the calorie content, they seemed
to prefer snacks with specific health benefits. Female groups described snacks more
often in terms of treats and cravings while men focussed more on energy and appetite.
In terms of male groups, only young adult men discussed the calorie content of a snack
as having a slight influence on their snack choice. Male students were the most likely to
discuss healthy snacks in negative terms while young adult and female older adult
groups displayed the most positive attitudes towards healthy snacks. All non-student
groups had equally similar health perceptions of functional food products.
Consumers’ needs
Many of the barriers to healthy snack consumption found in this study mirrored
consumers’ needs and wants in terms of new healthy snacks. All groups said they
would like to see a greater variety of “filling” snacks that could be eaten on a wider
variety of occasions and not specifically at breakfast time, e.g. “on-the-go” lunch food.
Young adult groups wanted to see more snacks claiming higher protein. Male groups
were eager to see more substantially sized cereal snacks without the “healthy”,
“low-fat”, “low-calorie” element. All non-male student groups indicated a preference for
more snacks containing fruits such as blueberries and cranberries as opposed to apple
and strawberry. All groups, particularly students, wanted to see more “sophisticated
lunchables” aimed towards the adult snack market. Both male and female older adult
groups wanted more see a greater variety of packed lunch products for their children.
Older adult female participants placed more emphasis on regional foods, indicating a
preference for a greater choice of snacks bearing the “Irish-made” product tag. Table III
illustrates the needs as stated by consumers across all demographic groups and
highlights the favoured healthy snack concepts to satisfy those needs.
Discussion
One of the biggest trends in Ireland at the moment is an increasing awareness of the
importance of healthful eating patterns to enhance nutrition and health and reduce the
risk of long-term illness (Safefood, 2007). Current market trends across Europe and the
USA have indicated a growing demand for healthier snack options as consumers become
increasingly focused on the calorie, fat, salt and sugar content of snack foods (Business
Insights, 2008). As can be seen from the results of this study, Irish adults’ expectations
are in line with these trends. The findings suggest that participants perceive wholegrain
and fibre based products to be healthy, which is consistent with results from previous
studies examining consumer’s attitudes to wholegrain foods (Dean et al., 2007; Saba et al.,
2010). However, while consumers demonstrated a good understanding of what
constitutes a healthy snack, a strong association remains between snacking and
BFJ
115,8
1142
Table III.
concepts across all

demographic groups
Consumers needs and
favoured cereal snack
Group Male needs Female needs Examples of favoured concepts
Students Wider range of substantially sized healthy Increase the variety of healthy snacks Cereal bar that could provide a “natural”
snacks available in vending machines energy boost (M/F)
Merchandise healthier snacks towards their Less processed cereal bars Cereal bars made with cranberries and gogi
age group berries. (F)
Puffed crisps with unusual flavours,
e.g. steak, spicy buffalo (M)
Young adult Wider range of substantially sized healthy Tasty evening snack that would satisfy High fibre morning snack containing fruits
snacks cravings without feeling too guilty with high antioxidant properties (M/F)
A healthier alternative for the afternoon/“3 A wider range of healthy “on the go” snacks Focus on functionality rather than
o’clock slump” Higher protein “healthy”. e.g. Duo sized cereal bar with
Wider variety of savoury healthy snacks “omega 3” or “cholesterol reducing” health
claim (M)
Wholegrain crisps with unusual flavours,
e.g. paprika, hot chilli
A chewy biscuit or bar with a variety of nuts
and seeds (M)
A healthier alternative for the afternoon/“3 Healthier savoury snacks for evening treat Whole grain crisps (F)
o’clock slump” More “Irish made” snacks Healthier form of snack bars/biscuits for
Increased variety of healthy snacks for Increased variety of healthy snacks for children’s lunchbox, e.g. wholegrain biscuit
Older adult children children that will appeal to children (M/F)
All groups Easier access to healthy snacks within a Sophisticated “adult lunchable”, e.g. fibre
convenience store environment cracker breads with cheese, hummus or
Widen the range of healthy snacks available pickle side dips
for a variety of consumption occasions Less sweet cereal bars with more nuts and
More snacks that can increase satiety which “wholegrain”, “fibre” claims
will tide the consumer over between main
meals or be substantial enough to replace a
meal
Notes: M ¼ Needs and wants valued more strongly by male participants; F ¼ Needs and wants valued more strongly by female participants
unhealthy eating. Snacking is generally considered an impulsive and highly satisfying Consumers’
eating experience so it is not surprising that the primary motivator for purchasing snack
food was taste. Previous literature has shown that people perceive snack products as a
expectations
treat within their overall consumption (McIntyre and Baid, 2009) and often place
indulgent foods like snacks in the minimal nutritional value category (Balasubramanian
and Cole, 2002). Also, Saba et al. (2010) found that foods with a wholegrain label
decreased the consumer’s likelihood to buy the product especially if the product was a 1143
hedonistic food such as biscuits or cakes. These findings are in accordance with the
results obtained in this study, where the majority of consumers did not freely associate
the word “health” with a “snack”. However, it was clear that snacks were an important
constituent of the consumer’s daily eating behaviours and the concept that health
benefits could be gained through snack consumption was received positively among the
majority of those interviewed. Moreover, Krystallis et al. (2010) argue that although
consumers are gravitating increasingly towards healthy snack foods, they find it
difficult to change their eating habits. This suggests that considerable potential exists in
the market for conventional food products with improved nutritional quality, thus
negating the need to make a lifestyle change.
Results of this study indicate that there is scepticism among consumers towards the
accuracy of health food claims, which corresponds to previous Irish (Bogue and
Sorenson, 2001) and Canadian (Ipsos Reid, 2011) research findings. There was a
particular concern regarding the health properties of cereal bars, which has been also
noted elsewhere (Mintel, 2011). The overuse of the “healthy product” claim on snack
foods products could make it difficult for the consumer to distinguish between what is
or is not healthy and thus further reduce the credibility of health claims on food labels
(Williams, 2005). This is compounded in our study by a difficulty reported by
participants in understanding what exactly constitutes a healthy snack based on
nutritional information, a phenomenon also noted by other authors (Bogue and Yu,
2009), making it difficult for consumers to interpret the overall healthiness of a product.
Within a marketing context, these results have important implications because the
promotional exaggeration of the potential health benefits of a product can generate
unrealistically high consumer expectations which are more likely to result in
dissatisfaction and rejection of the product by the consumer (Raats et al., 1995).
A recent Irish study found that adults with positive attitudes towards healthy
eating generally had a better dietary profile and were more likely to comply with
dietary guidelines than those with negative attitudes (Hearty et al., 2007). Consumer
groups most knowledgeable of dietary related issues and most likely to choose healthy
foods are women; consumers aged 35-54, from higher socio-economic groups with a
higher level of education (Bogue et al., 2005; Weijzen et al., 2009). In terms of nutrition
knowledge related to healthy snack food, there was no evidence in this study to
suggest that participants in the older adult group were more knowledgeable of the
potential health benefits associated with nutritional snacks than participants in the
young adult group, which corresponds to recent research findings (McIntyre and Baid,
2009). Results revealed that study participants were very aware of the associations
between energy dense snacks and diet related diseases with some older female adults
indicating discomfort in meeting a friend whilst holding a shopping trolley full of
unhealthy snack choices. Interestingly, a reduced risk of heart burn was mentioned by
male participants as a factor influencing healthy snack food consumption, a finding
which has not (to the authors’ knowledge) been noted in previous studies investigating
reasons behind snack food choice (French et al., 1999; McIntyre and Baid, 2009). The
BFJ results also suggest that participants were more attracted to healthy snacks that
offered disease prevention as opposed to health enhancement, findings which should
115,8 be considered by snack manufacturers in future product development strategies.
Both male and female groups also demonstrated equally similar health knowledge
and perceptions towards functional food products with many male participants
claiming to consume these foods on a daily basis. This result was rather unexpected
1144 since the literature identifies 35-60 year old females as the functional food consumer
(Childs and Poryzees, 1997; Teratanavat and Hooker, 2006). In addition, the results
indicated that male participants from the young and older adult groups had equally
positive reactions to their female counterparts to the concept of functional cereal
snacks which do not comply with the findings from a recent Irish study investigating
consumers’ attitudes to functional cereal beverages (Bogue and Yu, 2009). These
findings may suggest an interesting insight into changing patterns of functional food
choice for men and warrants further investigation. However, although it was apparent
that male groups were attracted to functional foods, they were much more likely than
women to reject healthy snacks on the basis of inadequate taste. Also, the consumption
of low fat, low calorie snacks because of weight and appearance concerns was much
more common among female participant groups. Prior research into Irish male
consumer attitudes towards reduced fat products found that the term “healthy” was
preferred over the term “fat-free” (Bogue et al., 1999b). The results from the current
study suggested that male participants were not drawn to snacks with the “healthy”
claim, low calorie or low fat dietary elements. Therefore, marketing healthier snacks
towards energy and appetite or positioning the product towards functionality rather
than healthiness could be prove successful, and is the subject recent marketing reports
into snacks directed at men (Mintel, 2011). However, the smaller portion size of
healthier snack alternatives was a major barrier to consumption among all male
groups suggesting a need for a larger than standard size healthy snack aimed at men.
An encouraging result from this study for snack food manufacturers is that while
participants expected healthy snacks to carry a higher price tag, only student groups
said it would have an influence on their snack food choice. In fact, most non student
participants stated they were willing to spend more on healthier alternatives with the
perception that a higher price tag meant higher quality.
The position of healthy snacks within a shop environment was discussed among
both genders from the young and older adult groups. Participants felt they would make
healthier choices if healthy snacks were more accessible. Research by Painter et al.
(2002) found a significant decrease in savoury snack consumption when food was
invisible and inconvenient. Therefore, merchandising healthy snack foods in more
visible, convenient areas might increase the likelihood of purchase.
The disappearance of the traditional three meal plan in favour of more frequent
snacking occasions has been noted by researchers (Mestdag, 2005). According to the
recent survey by the American Dietetic Association Foundation, 2011, the role of
snacking on the diet is changing further with results suggesting that adults and their
children are regularly replacing skipped meals with snacks. It was apparent in this
study that participants not only perceived snacks as a way to bridge the gap between
meals, but also expected a snack to replace a meal in certain situations, with some
consumers favouring the modern snacking lifestyle. Older adult males indicated higher
preferences towards snack dominating eating patterns compared with their female
counterparts which is not a typical finding in research literature (Gatenby, 1997;
Wansink et al., 2003). Findings from this study highlighted a need for a wider choice of
filling snacks, for a variety of usage occasions. Since replacing meals with snacks was Consumers’
related to an orientation towards healthy snacks foods by study participants, a market
opportunity could lie for manufactures to develop a healthy, filling snack aimed for
expectations
meal replacement. In addition, study participants wanted to see a higher level of snacks
with a whole grain claim which is line with results from recent literature (Mahanna
et al., 2009) and current market trends (Scott-Thomas, 2009). Furthermore, with the
exception of bread and breakfast cereals, penetration of high fibre, wholegrain foods in 1145
other sectors of the food market remain low (Seal et al., 2006) which also presents an
opportunity for increased availability of “filling” high fibre snacks.
Although focus groups provide rich qualitative data, it is important to remember
that the methodology is of an exploratory nature, and therefore the findings must be
taken in the context of the present study when discussed, especially as the sample size
is not extensive and there is only a small geographical spread. The results are not
intended to be representative of the Irish population as a whole. However, the results
from this study are useful in that they highlight the relevant quality attributes
expected from healthy snacks across a range of consumer segments. The study also
identified the factors driving healthy snack consumption among consumers as a
reduced risk of weight gain, diabetes, heart burn and bloating and the factors
preventing healthy snack consumption as perceived taste, portion size, the lack of
available convenient nutritional snacks, accessibility and confusion over the credibility
of the “healthy product” tag. Furthermore, these findings aid in understanding
consumer’s needs in terms healthy cereal snacks highlighting the potential
opportunities for snack manufacturers to explore. These included a developmental
niche for a man sized snack with functional properties, a filling snack aimed at a
variety of consumption occasions, a healthier evening treat aimed at women and the
concept of a sophisticated “lunchable” snack targeted at all age groups. From a
managerial perspective, the consumer research obtained in this study could be used as
a building block for the creation of new healthy snack concepts and future
development of superior snack products, and thus reduce future research costs and
time (Buisson, 1995). However in general, since it was the expectation of specific
quality attributes such as taste, convenience and pleasure that dominated snack food
choice in this study, the challenge for industry is to develop convenient nutritional
snacks that meet consumer’s health needs while continuing to focus on the experiential
qualities which consumers demand. Future studies using relevant quantitative
techniques are recommended, across a larger representative sample of consumer
segments, to further understand the different characteristics influencing the
decision-making process towards healthy and functional snack food products. Such
research would provide valuable behavioural and market knowledge which could be
used to focus the new product development process towards snack products that are
more likely to be accepted by the consumer.
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Corresponding author
Emily C. Crofton can be contacted at: emily.crofton@ucdconnect.ie
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Irish Adults' Expectations for Healthy Cereal-Based Snacks

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Scott-Thomas, 2009). While there is no internationally recognized definition to describe a

Consumer-oriented new product development

Methodology: focus groups as a research method

Topic Interview guide

Snacks Participants were asked to describe a typical snack product. Factors

Healthy snacks: consumers’ health and nutritional expectations

Consumers’ perceptions of healthy snacks

Concerns over mixed health messages

Attitudes towards functional cereal snacks

concepts across all

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