Characteristics and main lines of change of food consumption in Hungary

A stable and balanced domestic food market is an essential requirement of competiveness of the food industry. Volume and structure of food consumption are at present in the forefront of public interest, as a close relationship of public health and of food consumption is by now evident. There are several factors with an effect on food consumption that are comparatively stable for a longer time. This is for examole true for the number of the population, where no change is to be expected, only the age structure is shifting towards order generations. There is a strong change however going on already in the life-style. These trends will probably accelerate in the future. A growing number of consumers wants a more up to date diet. A very clear-cut trend in developed trend in developed countries is the declining importance of food and beverages in total consumption expenditure, while outlays on services strongly expand. Decline and/or stagnation of incomes in Hungary goes parallel with a very considerable shift toward both extremes, there is however no reliable data about the size of this polarization. There are manifold differences between the volume and the structure of consumption in different population strata. There is reason for concern because of the small rate of products with high biologic value in the food consumption of the strata with the lowest income, while the diet of those with high income supplies excessive energy. Despite the factors outlined, there are many changes of the food consumption atructure actually which deserve attention. Observation of these and comparison with international trends could be indicative for projecting food consumption in the next quarter century. Declining calory intake and the growth of percapita consumption of products with high biologic value have to be emphasized from the future trends. In accordance with this, declining sugar, small growth of cereal, stagnating meat consumption can be expected while milk and dairy products will reach at the end of the century the level of the middle of the 80ies. Products of the canning industry will be progressively replaced by deep frozen food. In the vegetable and fruit group consumption of high energy supplers (e.g.beans, lentils) will go back, while demand for citrus and tropical fruit and some yet less known vegetables will rise. Sharp seasoning, typical for Hungarian eating habits is also expected to decline. The importance of non-alcoholic beverages will rise in total beverage consumption, mineral water is going to have a progressively larger volume and more conspicuous place, while beverages beer consumption is expected to remain on the present level and there can be a smallgrowth of percapita wine consumption, compared with the present. Decline of the total volume of alcoholic beverages would require a much more resolute government antialcoholic action programme; in addition a considerable diminution of tensions responsible for alcoholism would be also necessary, but there is hardly any attempt or chance for that. In case of some product groups innovation and heavy advertising could bring rapid changes of consumption. Multinational firms have raised for example ice cream consumption in Hungary in a few years to several times the former size. Parallel with economic development the role of catering is expected to grow; up to date school and office canteens are spreading. This process will have however a significant importance only by the end of the century. Domestic food consumption of several products and product groups does not develop, or not in the direction required, mainly because marketing is highly unorganised, quality unstable and there are health imparing products on the market in case of some products (e.g. red pepper scandal)