Nearly 83% of consumers say that they are aware of omega 3s and fatty acids, whilst 75% associate them with having a positive impact on health, according to a report published by FMCG Gurus, UK. Additionally, a total of 40% of consumers say that they look to seek out products that contain the ingredients. And, a total of four in 10 of these consumers are willing to pay a premium for products that contain omega 3s and fatty acids.

In Q3 2019, FMCG Gurus surveyed 26,000 consumers across 26 different countries on the topic of omega 3s and other fatty acids.

When it comes to respondents who seek out food and drink products that contain omega 3s, a total of 54% say that they seek out such products to deal with a specific health problem (compared to 46% who say that they seek out such products for general health and wellness purposes). When asked what health benefits they associate with omega 3s, the Top 3 answers were “helps reduce the risk of nerve disease” (48%), “helps reduce the risk of age-related health problems” (44%) and “helps improve brain function” (42%). This shows that consumers associate omega 3s with a variety of health benefits.

These favorable perceptions toward omega 3s is having a direct impact on buying behavior when it comes to food and drink products. A total of 56% of consumers who say they seek out products that contain omega 3s say that they have increased their consumption of such products over the last 12 months. However, a total of 61% of these consumers say that they would like to see products to be high in omega 3s to be most affordable, whilst 60% say that they want products to be tastier. This is something that creates an opportunity for the frozen foods sector, especially in the frozen fish sector.