NEW YORK — Food safety fears have moved to the front of the checkout line as well over half of Americans (57 percent) say they have actually stopped eating a particular food, temporarily or permanently, as a result of a recent recall.
Additionally, close to three-fourths of Americans (73 percent) say they believe the number of food-related recalls has increased in the past year. An even higher percentage (76 percent) indicates they are more concerned about the foods they eat than they were five years ago.
The survey results show that concerns are especially high around recalls of meat products. Specifically, consumers say they are most concerned by beef recalls (78 percent) followed by chicken recalls (67 percent), recalls of fresh fruit and vegetables (53 percent) and recalls of dairy products (53 percent).
“These findings underscore how urgent it is for food manufacturers to do all they can to address the problem of food recalls head-on,” said Pat Conroy, Deloitte’s vice chairman and U.S. consumer products practice leader. “The results of the survey indicate that over half of today’s consumers may drop your product if they believe you are not doing what it takes to protect them and their families. Food manufacturers may consider taking a total approach to ensure the safety of their brands, all the way from the farm, to the supply chain, the store shelves and even the consumer’s pantry.”
Additionally, Americans express great reservations about foods produced outside the United States, with more than half (56 percent) saying they think imported foods are “not at all” or only “somewhat” safe. In contrast, 80 percent of Americans say they believe domestically produced foods are safe. Fully one third (33 percent) say they think fresh fish is “not at all” or “somewhat” safe.
Indeed, the survey found that nearly nine out of ten Americans (89 percent) would like to see food stores sell more fruits and vegetables that come from local farms, and well over two-thirds (69 percent) said they would pay slightly more for such produce.
The survey was commissioned by Deloitte and conducted online by an independent research company on April 21. The survey polled a nationally representative sample of 1,110 consumers. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.