London - ‘Food paranoia’ is gripping the nation, with four in ten people on a specialised diet.
Retail analysts Nielsen say there is a trend towards ‘real’ food which can be traced from farm to fork.
One in five say that their dietary choice is specifically designed to help prevent conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol or hypertension.
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The ingredients feeling the result of the backlash include sugar, salt, grains, eggs and dairy, with supermarket sales of sugar down by 8.1 per cent in a year.
Sales of cans and cartons of soup are down by 10.7 per cent, largely because they tend to be high in salt, which is linked to hypertension or high blood pressure.
Nielsen said that 42 per cent of people surveyed were on a diet that ‘excludes or limits consumption of some foods or ingredients’.
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It added: ‘Antibiotics/hormones are the most common ingredients avoided (49 per cent), followed by artificial additives, such as flavours, preservatives and sweeteners (45 per cent) and then sugar (42 per cent).’
Nielsen spokesman Mike Watkins said: ‘People are adopting a more back-to-basics mindset, focusing on simple ingredients and fewer processed foods. They’re also taking a more active role in their own health care.’
It comes as research reveals that going gluten-free has become a trendy dietary preference, with 13 per cent of the population avoiding the protein.
Daily Mail