Shoppers are less worried about food safety according to the Food Standards Agency's third annual Consumer Attitudes to Food survey.
Most significant was a fall in consumer concern about mad cow disease or BSE down to 45% in 2002 compared with 61% in 2000. While issues about GM foods has dropped from 43% in 2000 to 36% in 2002.
Confidence in the FSA also increased, with 60% of consumers claiming to be very or fairly confident in the FSA’s role in protecting health with regard to food safety, an increase of 10% since 2000.
In general the survey showed that the number of people concerned about food safety had fallen to 68% in 2002 from 71% in 2001.
The Agency found around 5% had given up on organic products in the past year. Some 38% reported never eating organic food while 14% said they consumed it two or three times a month with only 15% saying they ate it two to three times a week.
FSA chairman Sir John Krebs said the small but steady decline in public concern was extremely positive news for consumers and the FSA. “In the past three years we have made some headway in the journey to earning public confidence and trust,” added Krebs.
The survey also found that 52% of people recognised the ‘five-a-day’ message, an increase from 43% two years ago, but only 27% paid attention to the message and actually ate five portions of fruit and vegetables a day on the day before the survey.
A quarter of consumers also said that food labels contained too little information, with 29% stating that they looked for the calorie content on label, up from 21% in 2000.
Most significant was a fall in consumer concern about mad cow disease or BSE down to 45% in 2002 compared with 61% in 2000. While issues about GM foods has dropped from 43% in 2000 to 36% in 2002.
Confidence in the FSA also increased, with 60% of consumers claiming to be very or fairly confident in the FSA’s role in protecting health with regard to food safety, an increase of 10% since 2000.
In general the survey showed that the number of people concerned about food safety had fallen to 68% in 2002 from 71% in 2001.
The Agency found around 5% had given up on organic products in the past year. Some 38% reported never eating organic food while 14% said they consumed it two or three times a month with only 15% saying they ate it two to three times a week.
FSA chairman Sir John Krebs said the small but steady decline in public concern was extremely positive news for consumers and the FSA. “In the past three years we have made some headway in the journey to earning public confidence and trust,” added Krebs.
The survey also found that 52% of people recognised the ‘five-a-day’ message, an increase from 43% two years ago, but only 27% paid attention to the message and actually ate five portions of fruit and vegetables a day on the day before the survey.
A quarter of consumers also said that food labels contained too little information, with 29% stating that they looked for the calorie content on label, up from 21% in 2000.
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