The idea that food is a key part of a healthy life is not new. However, recently, there has been a surge in attention to this topic in the United States. Some of this awareness grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people appeared to be more mindful and intentional about their health and the role food plays in it. More recently, GLP-1 antagonist medication has become a focal point in discussions about how people relate to food and how that affects their health, as well as a driver of behavior change.

The agrifood value chain, from agricultural input manufacturers like Bayer, Beck’s Hybrids, and Yara, all the way to food manufacturers and retailers like Nestlé, Walmart and Costco, plays a vital role in how food is produced, transported, transformed and delivered. Ultimately, it is the value chain’s job to understand consumers’ needs and demands and translate that into products they are willing and wanting to purchase.

With that in mind, the Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability (CFDAS) and the Digital Innovation in Agrifood Systems Lab (DIAL) collaborated to understand how consumers view healthy food and compared that to what agrifood industry professionals believe are consumers’ demands. The goal was to determine if the industry is accurately interpreting the fast-changing consumer landscape so it can respond effectively.

Two surveys were conducted. The first survey, the Consumer Food Insights (CFI), was conducted in May 2025 and asked consumers, among other questions, “When a food product is marketed as ‘healthy,’ which qualities do you expect it to have?” The second survey, the Agrifood Economy Index, was conducted in June 2025 and asked industry executives a similar question: “Which of the following characteristics do you believe consumers most commonly associate with the term ‘healthy’ when it appears on food products?” Both groups were given a similar list of options and were asked to select all that they thought applied. The results for both surveys can be seen in Figure 1.

Fig. 1. Attributes associated with “healthy” foods

It is clear that a perception gap exists between consumers’ views and the industry’s assumptions about those views. First, let’s examine the order in which the attributes were ranked. On the consumers’ side, Low in added sugar, sodium, or saturated fats; High in protein, fiber, or essential nutrients; and Free from artificial additives or preservatives were the most important attributes, in order, when they think about “healthy” in the food they purchase.  

On the industry professionals’ side, Free from artificial additives or preservatives ranked first, pushing Low in added sugar, sodium, or saturated fats to second place. Minimally processed ranks third (Figure 2). 

Figure 2. Attribute ranking for “healthy foods” by consumers and industry professionals

A deeper understanding of this dynamic is achieved when we consider the gaps in how both groups choose these attributes. The largest gap is in the attribute of being high in protein, fiber, or essential nutrients: 66% of consumers see this as an important attribute of healthy foods, while only 40% of agrifood professionals consider it as such.  Food composition, including nutrients and ingredients, is a top priority for consumers. When combined with the attribute of being “low in added sugar, sodium, or saturated fats,” it clearly shows the types of information consumers associate with health and nutrition. 

Additionally, the “low in added sugar, sodium, or saturated fats” attribute. Both groups ranked it highly, but the 10-point gap seems significant. Again, we see an indication that consumers are more interested in what is in their food, especially regarding healthy products, than in how it was produced or processed. 

The same trend is observed with the “Free from artificial additives or preservatives” option, which consumers selected more frequently than industry professionals. This supports the notion that consumers are more concerned with what is in their food than with how it is made, focusing on ingredients they prefer to see and avoiding those they do not want included. 

Finally, it is important to highlight that 13% of the agrifood professionals surveyed aren’t sure how consumers define healthy in their food, and more importantly, what they care about most. This information should be used to develop strategic plans to help agrifood companies better understand consumers and how their demands directly impact the supply chain and their businesses. This can lead to a more efficiently organized value chain that delivers the value consumers seek, in the way they want it. 

Overall, these results highlight the need for our industry to rethink how it positions its products and services, focusing more on food components and composition from a nutritional perspective rather than on the systems and processes used to produce these items.  

 The way food is perceived, valued and consumed is moving in a direction that indicates health-driven diets are here to stay. The agrifood value chain exists to provide products and services that consumers need, want and demand. Yet, with 13% of agrifood professionals admitting they’re “not sure how consumers define ‘healthy’ food,” there seems to be room for the agrifood industry to improve its understanding of consumers’ preferences.

If you’d like to learn more about these and other research efforts, and how those results can be translated into actionable insights for your company, reach out to our team. We will be happy to work with you to understand your needs and create value for your organization.