Although Latinos are far from homogenous, diverse segments overall stay true to significant commonalities when it comes to food, in particular their preference for fresh, local and whole ingredients and traditional dishes that help preserve their connection to their family and country of origin.

That’s the major takeaway from The Multi-Cultural Latino Consumer , a new study jointly developed and conducted by consumer research firm The Hartman Group and MSLGroup.

The study found that the majority of Latinos, driven by the desire to create an appetizing social experience around each meal, will:
• Choose fresh foods over packaged food (82 percent)
• Buy more local products today than a year ago (51 percent)
• Eat meals influenced by country of origin (63 percent)

“Food brands looking to make a Latino family’s shopping cart need to recognize and respect what motivates the purchase – the family experience,” says Vickie Allande-Fite, MSL multicultural practice leader.

The study illustrates that Latinos identify food as an important element of daily life, leveraging meals as a central enabler of together-time, one third (32 percent) emphasizing the value of sitting around the table to share a meal compared to one fifth (22 percent) of non-Latinos.