SUPERMARKET PREPARED FOOD BEATS FAST FOOD: CONSUMERS

JACK ROBERTIELLO

WASHINGTON -- Consumers believe that food prepared in supermarkets is healthier than fast-food meals and getting healthier than shelf-stable packaged food or frozen food, according to a recently released study.

That's good news for operators of supermarket-based prepared-food programs, but the survey reveals a potential financial hazard as well: shoppers are becoming less willing to pay a premium for healthy and convenient supermarket food.

The Food Marketing Institute/Prevention magazine national survey, based on telephone interviews with 1,005 adult food shoppers, found that more than two-thirds -- 68% -- of Americans bought prepared food from supermarkets last year, with more than a third -- 36% -- saying they think buying supermarket prepared food helps them eat more healthfully. That's a substantial increase since last year, when only 25% considered supermarket prepared food healthy.

Nearly two-thirds -- 65% -- said that supermarket prepared food is healthier than that available in fast-food restaurants, while 43% said supermarket prepared food is healthier than shelf-stable packaged food. Thirty-eight percent said prepared food is healthier than frozen food.

More than 80% of respondents said they bought prepared food from supermarkets to save time.

For consumers under 40, the attraction of supermarket prepared food increases: 42% said food sold there helps them eat healthy meals, 49% believed that food was more healthy than packaged food and 47% believed the same vs. frozen food.

Meanwhile, the percentage of respondents who said they would accept a price premium for more healthful versions of food they regularly eat keeps falling, from 73% in the 1996 survey to 67% this time.

At the same time, 77% of all shoppers said that nutrition is more important to them than price.

"Shoppers are beginning to think of health and convenience as standard equipment, like air conditioning and power brakes on a car," said Ed Slaughter, director of research for Prevention.

Shoppers who want to improve the healthfulness of their diets said there are a number of things supermarkets can do to help them improve their customers' health: provide recipes for making healthful meals (71%), provide signs and displays in grocery stores about health and nutrition (58%), and make nutritionists available in supermarkets to answer questions (48%).

Supermarket executives have been wrestling with what makes food convenient for some time. According to the survey, more than half of the respondents -- 52% -- said being able to store a product for a long time without worrying about spoilage makes a product more convenient. Nearly half -- 47% -- said a food needs to require little or no cooking time to be considered convenient. And 46% said being able to eat an item anywhere made it convenient.

Interest in packaging also grew, with 37% saying individual servings make a product more convenient. For the first time, the annual survey asked respondents about complete meals, and found 29% see an advantage in being able to buy prepackaged complete meals that include an entree and side dishes.

The survey, "Shopping for Health: Balancing Convenience, Nutrition and Taste," is the sixth report from the annual "Shopping for Health" series conducted by the FMI here and Prevention magazine, Emmaus, Pa. The national survey monitors food shoppers' understanding of and concern about key issues in nutrition and health, and examines how they affect purchase decisions nationally.