Study: Food Safety Concerns Increasing in China

A new IBM study revealed that concern over food safety has dramatically increased in China. The new study shows that over the last two years in China, distrust with food retailers and manufacturers has grown even more than it has in the United States (U.S.) and United Kingdom (UK). The study, titled "Full Value Traceability," examines Chinese consumer values and confidence related to food and product safety.

Product contaminations and food recalls have become more commonplace across the globe. Melamine — a toxic chemical widely used to make plastics and glue — was recently found in Chinese infant formula and sickened more than 294,000 people, according to reports from China's Ministry of Health. The scope of the problem quickly multiplied to include a wide range of products containing milk sourced from China. As a result, sales of staple products, such as milk, chocolate, ice cream, candy and more, have plunged worldwide. Food safety and traceability issues are addressed this week in a guest blog post by Guy Blissett, co-author of the study, on the "Building a Smarter Planet" blog.

According to the new IBM telephone survey of 300 consumers across China, the rise in recalls and contaminations has eroded consumer confidence in food and product safety, as well as with the companies that manufacture, distribute and sell these products. 84 percent of Chinese consumers claimed that their level of concern about food safety has increased over the last two years. In contrast, IBM's recent survey of 1,676 consumers in the U.S. and UK found that 50 percent and 47 percent of respondents respectively have indicated an increased concern about food safety during that same time period.

Source: Packaging Digest