IATP | Health Observatory

IBM survey finds less than 20% of consumers trust food firms

Food Chemical News
June 25, 2009

An IBM study released yesterday reveals that less than 20% of consumers trust food companies to develop and sell food products that are safe and healthful for themselves and their families.

The study also found that 60% of consumers are concerned about the safety of food they purchase, and 63% are knowledgeable about the content of the food they buy. The survey of 1,000 consumers in the nation's 10 largest cities shows that consumers are increasingly wary of the safety of food purchased at grocery stores, and their confidence in food retailers, manufacturers and grocers is declining, IBM says in a news release.

Some 83% of respondents were able to name a food product recalled in the past two years due to contamination or other safety concerns. Nearly half of survey respondents (46%) identified peanuts as the most recognizable recall. Spinach came in a distant second, with 15% awareness nearly two years after the incident.

Consumers are proving to be extra cautious in purchasing food products after a recall, IBM said. Some 49% of the respondents would be less likely to purchase a food product again if it was recalled due to contamination. Some 63% of respondents confirmed they would not buy the food until the source of contamination had been found and addressed. Meanwhile, 8% of respondents said they would never purchase the food again, even after the source of contamination was found and addressed.

Some 63% of respondents purposely changed their grocery shopping behavior because they wanted better value for their money, IBM found.

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