One third of Brits wouldn’t serve canned food to guests, exclusive research for The Grocer reveals, though they believe it’s a good store cupboard option for other occasions.

Aside from this, Brits’ attitudes towards canned foods are generally positive. A further 49% of the 2,065 consumers polled by Harris Interactive believe there’s nothing wrong with canned food, noting it’s a great way to get fruit & veg, while 36% believe it’s cheap and a great way to save money.

“It appears that on the whole, UK consumers are particularly fond of canned goods and this is especially the case with more mature consumers,” says Tania Page, interim sector head of CPG & retail at Harris Interactive.

“If there’s an opportunity within the canned goods category, it’s definitely with younger consumers, who are most likely to undervalue canned food and are more likely to have a negative opinion of it. Those aged 16 to 24 years are most likely to perceive canned goods as boring and old-fashioned or worry about its health and environmental credentials.”

While overall views are positive, there is a huge variance in quality perceptions of different types of canned foods. When asked which canned foods offered good quality, 73% said baked beans, followed by soup (65%), tomatoes (64%), tuna (63%) and sweetcorn (52%). 

“Older consumers rate the quality of canned goods more highly versus younger consumers – seven in 10 of those age 55-plus rate tinned tomatoes as high-quality versus 40% of those in some of the younger age bands,” adds Page. 

Tinned all-day breakfasts, curries and hotdogs, meanwhile, suffer from low quality perceptions.

“Brand plays a big role in quality perceptions, two-thirds of consumers trust a branded product more than an own label,” believes Page. “There is perhaps the need to raise awareness of the how the right kind of canned products can be a healthy and affordable way to help consumers prepare meals.”

Which of the following statements about canned goods do you agree with?
  Total Male Female 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+
There’s nothing wrong with canned food, it’s a great way to get fruit & veg 49% 51% 48% 36% 41% 44% 49% 60%
Canned food is cheap, it’s a great way to help me save money 36% 38% 34% 39% 39% 34% 38% 34%
It’s a good store cupboard option, but I wouldn’t serve it to guests 34% 28% 39% 34% 27% 33% 34% 37%
Canned food is for people like me and my family 26% 28% 24% 15% 25% 26% 29% 29%
I think canned food tends to be a lower-quality food 16% 17% 15% 28% 21% 19% 13% 9%
I’m a scratch cook, I don’t use canned food! 11% 9% 14% 9% 8% 12% 12% 13%
Canned food is heavy and inconvenient to take home 11% 9% 13% 8% 11% 9% 9% 14%
I am worried about the health credentials of canned food 11% 10% 11% 19% 16% 11% 10% 5%
Canned food is old-fashioned 9% 9% 9% 13% 8% 11% 7% 8%
Canned food is for other people, it’s not really my thing 7% 5% 9% 10% 5% 8% 6% 6%
Canned food is boring, there isn’t much choice 7% 7% 7% 17% 8% 6% 4% 4%
I am worried about environmental aspects of canned food 6% 6% 7% 15% 7% 7% 6% 3%
Canned food is cheap and nasty 5% 6% 4% 9% 8% 7% 1% 3%
I’m a bit embarrassed about buying canned food 3% 3% 3% 10% 3% 4% 2% 1%
The food is too cheap - I’m embarrassed to serve it in my home 3% 4% 3% 6% 3% 5% 2% 1%
When it comes to canned food, do you trust own-label products or branded ones more?
  Total Male Female 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+
Own label 34% 33% 34% 29% 43% 38% 28% 31%
Branded 66% 67% 66% 71% 57% 62% 72% 69%
If own label, why?   
  Total Male Female 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+
Own label is cheaper and great value 58% 55% 60% 48% 54% 58% 61% 62%
All canned food is the same, there’s no point paying more for a fancy label 57% 56% 58% 58% 57% 56% 55% 58%
There’s a much better selection of products 16% 18% 14% 23% 18% 17% 10% 14%
If branded, why?    
  Total Male Female 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+
Branded canned food is of a higher quality, it’s worth paying more for 58% 60% 57% 71% 55% 62% 63% 51%
There’s a much better selection of products 43% 43% 43% 33% 44% 44% 41% 47%
The canned food I like to eat isn’t available in own label 12% 13% 12% 13% 17% 13% 9% 12%

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10 Things You Need To Know About... Canned Goods