Kerry survey highlights opportunities in immune health

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Recent consumer research by Kerry Group (Beloit, WI) for its Wellmune brand provides insights into the opportunities within the immune health category. The proprietary Kerry Global Consumer Survey on Immune Health encompasses 14 global markets and surveyed consumers that were users or would consider using healthy lifestyle products. Respondents to the survey were placed in a number of categories, specifically: Aged 50+, Household with Children, Athletic, Health Conscious, and Mother with children aged 12 or under.

According to the survey, the biggest market opportunity for immune health exists in China, where 50% of respondents said they used an immune health product in the past six months, and 29% said they would consider purchasing an immune health product in the future. That amounts to a 79% potential market opportunity. Of course, potential market opportunity remains high throughout the world with positive results in the Asia-Pacific, Latin American, North American, and European markets. The lowest potential opportunity was found in the United Kingdom and Japan, which showed 54% and 47% market opportunity, respectively. In both these countries, potential usage of immune health products outweighed the actual usage. Kerry could not identify why, but suggested that targeting specific consumer groups might be the key to unlocking the category’s fullest potential in these markets.

The survey also showed that 70% of consumers globally believed breakfast to be the best time for consumer products with immune health benefits. Yogurt and yogurt-based drinks were favored by 44% of consumers, followed by fruit and vegetable juices (43%), dietary supplements (34%), and milk or non-dairy beverages (33%). Snacking is another major opportunity, with 39% of respondents citing mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks as ideal for immune health products. Snacking in general is huge. For example, 85%, 86%, 83%, 77%, and 76% of consumers in the U.S., U.K., Brazil, Indonesia, and Thailand, respectively, said they’ve purchased snacks in the last six months, and 31% of consumers globally were interested in purchasing snacks with immune health benefits. 

For more insights, the report can be accessed here.