Urban Vietnamese happy to pay more for healthy food: survey

The study done by market research firm Kantar in September in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Can Tho said 79 per cent are willing to pay more while 88 percent read product labels to ensure they avoid unhealthy foods.

Seventy eight percent said they exercise regularly.

Vietnamese eating habits are changing. Consumption of fat, sugar and red meat is decreasing, while that of fiber, white meat and dairy are increasing, according to Kantar data from June 2018 to June 2019.

Seventy six percent of consumers said they are trying to reduce their fat consumption.

Consumption of sugar is declining in Hanoi and central Da Nang City and that of red meat in HCMC and southern Can Tho City.

"We are seeing Vietnamese consumers switch to healthier lifestyles, which include eating and drinking habits," Kantar said.

The country consumes 5.4 million tons of meat a year, with pork accounting for 70 percent, according to official figures.

A Vietnamese consumes only nine kilograms of chicken a year compared to 30 kg by Thais and 35 kg by Singaporeans, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The top two concerns in Vietnamese households are food safety and health, something confirmed by a number of other studies.

A survey recently released by market research firm Nielsen found 44 percent of respondents citing health as their key concern, followed by job security (42 percent) and work/life balance (22 percent).