TV Programme Notes: Supermarket Shopping Secrets

BBC iPlayer - Supermarket Shopping Secrets

Episode 2/3: Convenience

• 'Britain's supermarket landscape has been turned on it's head'
• 'Over the past few years how and where we shop has changed beyond recognition'
• 'We have more choice than ever before'
• 'As a nation we are becoming far more conscious about our health' - 1/3 of all of our purchases are with the purpose of health benefits.
• 'Studies show that over 3/4 would spend more on food if they believed it would be better for us.'
• 'When it comes to eating healthy we all know what we SHOULD be eating. Walk around a supermarket and their shelves will be packed full of healthier options'
• Iceland are hoping to tackle this industry with one of the most popular British items, a burger. They are aiming to change the way we look at this item and sell it as something with a health benefit, resulting in Iceland going to the factory in order to create this by using less salt through a salt alternative. 'Too much salt is known to increase the risk of heart disease yet some gourmet burgers can account for up to 30% of our daily intake.'
• Food guidelines are set by the Foods Standard Agency - look into what they say!
• Soy bean > Miso > Miso powder > Salt alternative - we are now looking for plant based alternatives, realising that the more natural it is the 'healthier' it is supposed to be.
• 'The health food market is growing at 4 times the rate of the general food market. So in the battle to win the supermarkets are quick to jump on the health trends (gluten?) and there's one mega trend that's already worth more than 1/2 a billion pounds a year and it's growing fast.'
• Shelves are now full of 'free from' foods 'it's ice-cream without cream and bread without wheat. 'Thousands of us are ditching dairy and gluten because we think it's better for us.'
• 'But is it? It started for people with allergies/intolerances, now almost 1/3 of us are now buying it when only 1/7 of us have a medical reason.'
• 'Whether its really any healthier is up for debate, sales jumping 20% in the past year all the supermarkets want in.'
• 'Sainsbury's latest move is to be the first supermarket in the UK to create a completely free-from alternative to the nations favourite ready meal - lasagne.'
• There's now factories that create solely gluten free products - responding to the demand.
• What is a gluten alternative? Brown rice and quinoa is powdered down and forces to molecules to bond through heat and pressure. (as technology and knowledge has advanced it has made things possible that were not previously giving the public more variety in their desire for healthier lifestyles)
• Government has a strong link with what we buy as they influence us as consumers and retailers
• 'Healthy food that most people pick' - fruit and veg, low fat yoghurt, low sugar/gluten free products but many think health can be achieved by cutting out/down on alcohol.