Health or hoax: How food and drink brands can win back consumer trust?

Now we’ve long left January – considered ‘the healthiest month of the year’, when people are most conscious about food and drink choices – the question is “how will people behave, moving forward?” “Will there be an ongoing ‘trust gap’ between consumers and the food and drink industry?”

Our research says ‘yes’…

54% of Brits believe food and drink brands overclaim health benefits and 44% have changed their purchasing habits due to this mistrust. Millennials and Gen Zs (55%) are frontrunners here vs over 45–55-year-olds (33%). As scepticism spreads, the call for transparency couldn’t be louder.

Recently, brands like Huel, Ferrero, and Mondelez have been part of a growing trend of consumer distrust. In the past few months, they faced issues with the ASA for misleading adverts that over-claimed the health benefits of their products. Huel – for instance – promoted its Daily Greens supplement as “better” than fresh greens without evidence, leading to regulatory action.

Now, onto UPFs – a particular cause for concern. Over 60% of Brits check product labels for information around UPFs and 50% say they’d completely avoid products they consider to be ultra processed.

That being said, over a quarter don’t even trust retailers to be transparent about which foods are ultra-processed. Millennials and Gen Zs – again – are most likely to stop buying a product due to concerns about its ingredients or processing methods.

So, how can brands rebuild consumer trust?

• Turbo-charge transparency: 48% of people say credible independent certifications (like “fair trade” and “gluten-free”) increase their trust in products. Over a third check labels more now than they did a year ago. It’s no surprise that 45% of peopleare happy to spend more on products with clear, transparent labels. There are many ways for brands to do this, like using tech such as GS1-powered QR codes on pack, which give consumers valuable info with a simple scan.

• Strategic comms: Consumers say positive brand reputation (38%) and media coverage (25%) are essential for building trust. To achieve this, brands should invest in strategic comms across various platforms – trade and consumer media, social media, podcasts – backed by robust research and data. For brand messages to thrive in the present and future, they must be culturally relevant and leverage the ‘now’. Authentic stories create real influence and behaviour change.

• Evidence-backed accreditations: Brands should highlight third-party accreditations, considering the fact that 57% of Brits say the presence of quality marks (like Red Tractor and British Lion) increases their trust in food products. Whilst it’s expected that claims should be truthful, they must also be up-to-date, credible and substantiated with hard evidence.

Brands that embrace transparency will not only regain consumer trust but create even more loyal customers who feel empowered to make informed decisions.

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