{"id":40538,"date":"2025-05-01T13:16:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T13:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.irishfoodanddrink.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=40538"},"modified":"2026-02-20T11:49:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T11:49:14","slug":"why-health-and-nutrition-is-now-a-strategic-imperative-for-category-directors","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.irishfoodanddrink.com\/it\/news\/why-health-and-nutrition-is-now-a-strategic-imperative-for-category-directors\/","title":{"rendered":"Why health and nutrition is now a strategic imperative for category directors. \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>It used to be something of a fringe consideration. But now, health and nutrition has leapt up the priority list for category directors in the food industry \u2014 influencing buying decisions and dominating strategic conversations.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It follows from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bordbia.ie\/industry\/insights\/consumer-lifestyle-trends\/wholesome-living\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">growing consumer trend towards more wholesome living.<\/a> Shoppers are making more conscious decisions about how they feed themselves and their families, and they\u2019re becoming savvier too \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/garydrenik\/2024\/07\/18\/beyond-the-label--consumers-want-the-truth-about-product-ingredients\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scrutinising ingredients lists<\/a> to check the health impacts of their purchases.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a category director, your entire procurement strategy needs to adapt to a population-level shift in attitudes towards health. And as we\u2019ll discuss, that brings both sizeable challenges and opportunities.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sustainability-Resized-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-40549\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.irishfoodanddrink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sustainability-Resized-2.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.irishfoodanddrink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sustainability-Resized-2-100x67.png 100w, https:\/\/www.irishfoodanddrink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sustainability-Resized-2-400x267.png 400w, https:\/\/www.irishfoodanddrink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sustainability-Resized-2-800x533.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A snapshot of the health landscape&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In recent years, once-niche health trends have shifted firmly into the mainstream. For instance:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A <a href=\"https:\/\/insights.figlobal.com\/diet-health\/gut-health-goes-multifunctional-as-consumers-seek-benefits-beyond-probiotics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">surge of interest in gut health<\/a> has seen retailers stocking bays with probiotic yoghurts, kefir drinks, kombucha, and new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.specialityfoodmagazine.com\/retail\/what-are-the-types-of-functional-drinks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">probiotic-rich functional drinks<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Millions of shoppers are now filling their baskets with plant-based meats and dairy, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/gfieurope.org\/blog\/plant-based-meat-and-milk-are-now-mainstream-choices-for-british-consumers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">plant-based market appears to be stabilising after a recent drop in sales.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Soaring sales of protein-rich products (and a <a href=\"https:\/\/straitsresearch.com\/report\/protein-bars-market\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">booming protein bar market<\/a>) reveal a desire for nutritious alternatives to quick processed snacks \u2014 fuelling gym-goers and time-pressed professionals alike.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s also a strong commercial reason to stock shelves with nutritious products: a large systematic review found that, on average, consumers are <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10909406\/#:~:text=Twenty%20three%20out%20of%20the,price%20premium%20for%20healthier%20foods.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">willing to pay a 30.7% price premium for healthier foods<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, as a category director, keeping your finger on the pulse of every new health trend is tough. Not least because the landscape is changing so quickly, and attitudes and motivations towards health are so individual.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Keeping up with fast-changing tastes<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Opinions on health and nutrition aren\u2019t hard to find these days. An entire industry of influencers, podcasters, and wellness-focused celebrities is shaping and reshaping the food choices that consumers make.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a category director, you\u2019re under constant pressure to adapt to these changing tastes \u2014 in direct competition with an emerging industry of specialty online retailers, wellness brands, and sports nutrition companies. But it\u2019s also not enough to just focus on mass-market health trends.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dietary insights from wearable devices are helping drive a multi-billion dollar <a href=\"https:\/\/www.food.gov.uk\/research\/the-evolution-of-personalised-nutrition-personalised-nutrition-market-and-business-models\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">personalised nutrition market<\/a>, diluting the idea of the \u2018average\u2019 consumer. While personalised nutrition brings complexity to procurement decisions, it also represents a huge opportunity for innovation.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For instance, by analysing dietary data and buying patterns, and by working with industry partners, category directors can develop new product ranges that are tailored to specific nutritional requirements.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>It\u2019s a constant balancing act<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, it\u2019s not as simple as following the data and expanding your healthy product range.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Category directors also need to balance conflicting consumers\u2019 wishes for healthy but cheap food \u2014 particularly during a cost-of-living crisis. In addition, supply chain disruptions and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.retailgazette.co.uk\/blog\/2025\/03\/food-inflation-to-rise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cost pressures<\/a> continue to complicate procurement decisions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But fundamentally, catering to healthy shoppers has to be a long-term priority. And stocking shelves with the right products requires a multi-faceted approach. It requires tracking the latest health and nutrition science, staying on top of consumer habits, and forging relationships with suppliers that can flex to fast-changing tastes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Bord Bia, we can help with that. To find out more, including how you can benefit from our industry research and supplier network, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishfoodanddrink.com\/contact\/amsterdam\/\">get in touch<\/a> today.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":40539,"parent":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-40538","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news_tags-english"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why health and nutrition is now a strategic imperative for category directors. \u00a0 - Irish Food &amp; Drink<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irishfoodanddrink.com\/it\/news\/why-health-and-nutrition-is-now-a-strategic-imperative-for-category-directors\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"it_IT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why health and nutrition is now a strategic imperative for category directors. \u00a0 - Irish Food &amp; Drink\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It used to be something of a fringe consideration. 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