Study Shows Consumer Food Quality Concerns Decreasing

NEW YORK — Although nine of 10 consumers believe food-related recalls are on the rise or on par, fewer seem to be anxious about them, according to Deloitte's 2010 Consumer Food Safety Survey as compared with findings from its 2008 survey.

The 2010 results show:

• 65% of consumers are concerned about the quality of the food they eat, a 17% decrease from 2008.
• 75% of consumers place responsibility for communicating product-recall information on manufacturers/food companies, with 73% placing responsibility on government organizations; 53%  on retailers; and 51% on the media.
• 51% say the new country-of-origin labels help in determining which fresh meat, fish, fruit or vegetables to purchase; and 45% would like Internet information on country of origin for all ingredients in a packaged food product.
• 53% frequently or always read the list of ingredients on an unfamiliar food; up from 50% in 2008, but only 45% claim to understand at least 75% of the ingredients on the label and 55% understand half or less.
• 54% frequently or always read the "Nutritional Facts" box on an unfamiliar item with the top five facts read being: calories (71%), total fat (63%), sugars (50%), sodium (45%) and serving size (39%).

Read the full story at MeatPoultry.com or contact Deloitte for more information.