EIT Food and Puratos: How transparency and taste bridges healthy indulgence gap

New research from Europe’s food innovation community, EIT Food, in collaboration with ingredients supplier Puratos, reveals that consumers no longer want to choose between health and pleasure — they seek indulgent products that offer both.

The findings uncover ways through which F&B manufacturers can bridge the gap between consumers’ healthy intentions and their actual choices regarding indulgent foods.

The study calls for ingredient transparency and a focus on “naturalness” and premium quality from brands. It states that “overly scientific or abstract” health claims often spark skepticism, while trust in brands grows when products highlight natural, recognizable ingredients and transparent claims.

The Consumer Observatory qualitative study involving 110 participants across 17 European countries also emphasizes that positive, inclusive messaging that focuses on care and enjoyment “resonates far more strongly than ‘guilt-free’ or restrictive messaging.”

Klaus G. Grunert, professor of marketing at Aarhus University, Denmark, and lead of the EIT Food Consumer Observatory, says: “Consumers want to make better choices, but they also want pleasure and connection.”

“Healthy indulgence succeeds when it feels authentic and natural and isn’t positioned as a compromise. By aligning products with how people actually live and eat, brands can offer healthier choices that are both appealing and convincing to consumers.”

Tone and transparency lessons

The study by the EU-backed innovation community states that when brands use “guilt-free” messaging, it risks disappointing consumers who perceive it as manipulative or linked to the “outdated diet culture.”

Products emphasizing care, comfort, and togetherness perform best in family gatherings and everyday moments of healthier indulgence.“Positive, inclusive language that frames healthier indulgence as care for oneself and others resonates more strongly. Consumers aspire to build healthy routines without feeling restricted, creating an opportunity to position products for everyday moments, as opposed to special occasions,” says EIT Food.

To test these insights, the researchers analyzed four common potential occasions when consumers are most open to healthier indulgence: “relaxing in the evening,” “treating family and friends,” “mood boosting,” and “weekend breakfast.”

The results revealed that products that emphasize care, comfort, and togetherness performed best, while those making bold functional or mood-related claims were met with greater doubt.

The report also finds that everyday moments spent alone or with family, such as around gym visits or relaxing in the evening, tend to be better suited to healthier indulgence, while conventional indulgence plays a bigger role in celebration and social bonding.

Prioritizing “trust and taste”

The findings provide “practical guidance” for food manufacturers and marketers developing healthier indulgent products.

They also highlight the rising opportunity for sweet baked goods as a promising area for healthier indulgence. Cookies, muffins, and banana bread fit well into family life and appeal to parents who want wholesome yet satisfying snacks for their children, states the study.

“Consumption moments for healthy indulgent sweet baked goods skew strongly toward casual, day-to-day occasions that elevate and improve daily life, while regular sweet baked goods are more often chosen for special celebrations (such as birthdays, weddings, and Christmas) or holidays,” says EIT Food.

Sweet baked goods like cookies, muffins, and banana bread are promising products for healthier indulgence.Puratos, a key player in the sweet baked category, helps manufacturers strike a balance between taste and health in their products.

“Healthier indulgence is no longer a niche but a rapidly evolving expectation. Consumers are clear that they want treats they can feel good about, but trust and taste must come first,” says Sara De Pelsmaeker, Group Health & Well-Being director at Puratos.

She points to the industry’s opportunities in combining “authentic ingredients, clear communication and the emotional pull” of indulgence to create products that offer pleasure and well-being.

“These insights support Puratos’ ambition to lead the bakery, patisserie, and chocolate sectors toward improved nutritional balance while maintaining the joy and connection that indulgence brings,” she notes.

Globally, 22% of consumers believe that indulging in treats helps them manage stress, just ahead of the 21% who prefer healthy eating, suggests Innova Market Insights data.