The research, which looked at attitudes towards packaged and processed food and was released at the Food Vision conference in Cannes, found that nearly three-quarters of consumers were concerned with natural food and ingredients.
It also found that many consumers fail to observe a well-balanced diet due to a lack of time or information to investigate food and its ingredients thoroughly.
In Europe and the US, there is also a clear demand for natural food, which, however, shows a slightly different face compared to Asia.
Many consumers there are not just principally concerned with a healthy diet but also able and willing to invest a considerable amount of time and money into their nutrition.
Overall, 66% of the consumers in the Asian countries surveyed said a healthy and natural choice of food products was necessary.
“Consumers all around the world are increasingly conscious of the use of certain food additives. Whether it is about colours, flavours or preservatives – the call for natural alternatives is getting louder and wider,” said Victor Foo, general manager of GNT Singapore, the food colourings company that commissioned the study.