Nearly a fifth of shoppers are so wary about the meat on supermarket shelves that they've switched to their local butcher instead. According to research by the magazine Good Housekeeping, people are also eating less meat, with 55% claiming to have cut back and 27% trying alternatives to meat or fish. The survey of 1,000 consumers found that 76% are buying the same amount of British meat as before the foot and mouth crisis while 92% believe imported meat is no safer than British. Traditional farming methods are trusted by 87%. A spokesman at the Meat and Livestock Commission said it was heartening that consumers believed British farmers cared about their produce but said there was no reason to trust butchers any more than big retailers. "The health and safety issues that apply to butchers also apply to supermarkets." More than 80% say they would pay an extra £9 a week to guarantee safe food, as only one in six trust supermarkets to sell safe food. Nearly 70% say their trust in supermarkets has been dented. {{NEWS }}