A new study from AHDB explores Gen Z attitudes to food, influences on their shopping behaviour and where they are sourcing this information from.

Born between 1997 – 2012, Gen Z have been labelled the “retail consumers of the future” and are expected to account for 11% of UK retail spend by the end of 2030 (Barclays, 2023).

AHDB’s new report has shown that for some Gen Z, health is very much a priority and something that they are prioritising when making food choices. These younger consumers are almost twice as likely to claim to always eat healthily and rarely eat unhealthy foods at 7% compared to just 4% for the adult population (IGD, 2023).

Gen Z are also more likely to be concerned about the protein content of their food when eating or choosing what to eat than the rest of the adult population (+6%), and are significantly less likely to be concerned about the salt (-11%), sugar (-9%) and fat content (-11%) (AHDB/YouGov, August 2024, 18–27-year-olds vs 28–65-year-olds).

AHDB said that given their understanding of the nutritional benefits red meat and dairy can offer, it is unsurprising that 99% of shoppers under 28 purchase meat, fish and poultry for their household (Kantar, 52 w/e 29th September 2024) and 98% purchase cows dairy (NIQ Discover, 52 w/e 5th October 2024, shopper aged <34). 

In fact, of those who have followed a vegetarian or vegan diet in the past, almost a fifth of those aged 19-22 had subsequently stopped, with 45% saying that they didn’t think the diet was healthy for them (IGD, 2023).

Social media the strongest influence

The report highlights that social media is the channel with the greatest influence on Gen Z. Often seen to accelerate food trends in the wider population, social media has a strong influence among 16–34-year-olds (Mintel’s Attitudes towards Healthy Eating – UK – 2024 Report). Mintel has also reported that 75% of 16-34s find media content, such as social media and articles, which promotes healthy eating to be aspirational.

In the most recent Trust and Traceability annual tracker run by AHDB, 55% of Gen Z reported that they use TikTok for information about food, 12 percentage points (ppt) higher than the general population (AHDB/Blue Marble Trust Survey, ages 18-26, 2024).

Charlotte Forkes-Rees, Retail and Consumer Insight Analyst at AHDB, said: “This research shows that when it comes to influencing Gen Z food decisions, it’s important to highlight any health claims relating to naturally occurring protein, vitamin and mineral contents.

“AHDB has taken much of the insight onboard, and has proactively targeted marketing campaigns to Gen Z consumers with specific social media campaigns, such as our Love Pork, Let’s Eat Balanced and Milk Every Moment campaigns, showcasing beef, lamb, pork and dairy in formats which best resonate with Gen Z.”

To read the full Gen Z study, click here.