- Research shows nine out of ten consumers think food companies have a responsibility to make sure their diet is healthy.
- Very few consumers truly trust food businesses when it comes to health and nutrition data.
The UK business, Ingredient Communications which specialises in PR, marketing and communication on ingredients has recently examined perceptions by consumers of the role of food companies in providing us with healthy food.
An on-line survey of 1,300 people conducted by Surveygoo for Ingredient Communications globally showed that 90% of them felt food and drink companies had a responsibility to ensure their diet was a healthy one. The extent of the food businesses’ responsibility for this level of healthiness was also examined. Just over half (52%) of consumers thought this should be considerable whilst 37% thought it was some involvement. The remainder did not think there was any responsibility.
Looking at the responses from consumers in various continents offers some perspective on the widely differing regard for food manufacturers and their role in society when it comes to diet. Perhaps most interestingly, Asian consumers (68%) thought that food businesses should be the most responsible which contrasts with just 39% polled from western nations.
The press release provides further details but it’s worth noting the numbers canvassed. The survey questioned 1300 consumers (50 in Australia; 50 in Canada; 200 in India; 100 in Malaysia; 50 in New Zealand; 200 in the Philippines; 100 in Singapore; 500 in the UK and 50 in the USA). The survey was conducted between 19 and 26 October, 2016.
The survey also looked at levels of trust shown by consumers towards the food businesses. Generally, trust appears in relatively short supply when compared to providers of nutritional knowledge from other sources. The survey requested replies on seven different sources of information about health and nutrition and the respondents were tasked with listing them in order of trustworthiness. The almost unanimous worldwide response was that healthcare professionals and doctors were most trustworthy. About 72% of consumers ranked them first or second in the list. Next in the list were government and health authorities who were rated top by 23% and then a mix went for friends and family (15%). The food businesses were ranked either at the bottom or second from last by nearly 4 in 10 consumers and only 5% ever placed them at the top which seems quite telling. The list of trusted suppliers also included celebrities of both chef and non-chef variety, bloggers and journalists but no top level data appears available for them.
When you look at the geographical spread of consumers where trust is concerned then it is better to be food business in the USA because 14% of respondents there ranked them highest. Interestingly, only 32% of the US consumers put doctors at the top of the list.
Richard Clarke, Director of Ingredient Communications, made the pertinent comment:-
“Our research makes clear the scale of the challenge facing the food industry. On the one hand, consumers expect food and drink manufacturers to demonstrate a commitment to helping them to eat healthily. On the other, many people distrust the information they provide. There’s no quick fix for this. Manufacturers need to continue to work hard to win the trust of consumers. Key to achieving this is the use of healthy, natural ingredients and embracing clean and clear labelling, as well as developing innovative new ways to demonstrate their commitment to promoting healthy diets. In time, this approach will pay off and we would expect levels of trust to rise.”
Neil Cary, Managing Director of Surveygoo, commented:-
“One of the interesting things this research shows is how much consumers’ attitudes differ by country. People in Asia, for example, are far more likely than westerners to expect food companies to help them eat healthily. Consumers also differ on who they trust. The lesson for manufacturers and marketers of food products is to thoroughly understand all your markets – what works in one won’t necessarily work in another.”
Much of the data for this article comes from the press article and secondary sources.
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