Photo courtesy of Walnut Marketing Board.

A recent attitude and usage study conducted by Rose Research, Boca Raton, Fla., interviewed 1,000 consumers about the way they use California walnuts and their attitude toward the product. The California Walnut Board, Folsom, Calif., funded the study.

About three-quarters of consumers who buy walnuts are buying them more often because of their health benefits and omega-3 content. More than half said they would buy a product simply because it contained walnuts, while 53 percent would definitely or probably buy products containing walnuts if they were priced reasonably. Top manufactured walnut products included cookies (57%) snack mixes (28%) and cereal (46%), among others. When a health claim associated with walnuts was included, such as “rich source of antioxidants” or “heart-healthy,” more than 70 percent said they would purchase the product.

Interest in products containing walnuts has increased significantly since the last Attitude and Usage study was conducted in 2004.

“The findings show that today's consumer is enjoying walnuts in much broader ways than in the past,” said Dennis Balint, executive director, California Walnut Board. “Walnuts are a great addition to packaged goods as a highly valued ingredient, packing a number of nutrients in a nutshell,” he added.