As mentioned in last week’s blog, the International Food Information Council Foundation (also known as Food Insight), commissions a survey each year to further examine topical themes prevalent at the time about health, diet, food safety, and sustainability – should we be eating more fish and fewer eggs, does labelling really affect purchasing decisions, how healthy is fish oil perceived to be, are we willing to pay more for sustainably produced food? These are just a few of the questions posed over the years. Conducted by Greenwald & Associates, the surveys canvas around 1,000 Americans between the age of 18 and 80. And while the results are by nature deriving from and relevant to the American market, the insights gained are pertinent on a global level too.
This year’s survey, entitled Food Decision 2016, examined the impact of a growing national food dialogue, and taken from their Fast Facts summary, here are a few of the highlights:
In the Past Year …
- An average of 31% of Americans changed their minds about at least one dietary component, such as grains, sugars, or protein
- 44% read a book or article, or watched a movie or documentary, examining the food system and/or commonly held beliefs about diet ...
- ... and more than half of that group changed their food purchasing decisions (26% of all Americans) or engaged with friends, family, or coworkers (23% of all Americans) based on what they read or viewed
What Americans Believe:
- 71% trust the safety of food produced in their region of the country, but just 24% trust the safety of food from another country
- The most trusted sources of information about food safety are Registered Dietitian/Nutritionists (70%), personal healthcare professional (57%), & U.S. government agencies (52%)
- Most trusted sources of info about what types of food to eat: Registered Dietitian/Nutritionists (70%), personal healthcare professional (65%), & U.S. gov’t agencies (37%)
- 73% say it’s important that food products be produced in a sustainable way, but only 38% are willing to pay more for it
What the results show above all else is that people are hungry for information about what they’re eating – where does the food come from, how has it been produced, how will it affect their health? As can be similarly seen with the growing trend of Food eVangelists – ‘influencers’ who happily share their opinions about food, generating billions of conversations every week – gone are the days where people ate without awareness. People want to know. And to help them cut through the quagmire of often conflicting information, people want to know from someone they trust. Be that someone.
