Latest consumer attitudes survey suggests increased consumer confidence around many food issues

Sunday 24 February 2008

The eighth annual Scottish Consumer Attitudes to Food Survey¹, published today by the Food Standards Agency Scotland (FSAS), points to increased confidence among the public about food.

Since the initial survey in 2000, the number of people in Scotland concerned about issues such as food poisoning, additives and food safety in general has stayed steady, but the latest survey reveals a dip in the number of people who are concerned about many food safety issues. The results reveal some other encouraging trends, particularly relating to increased awareness and claimed consumption of five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Highlights of the latest survey relating to food safety include:

• A decrease since 2006 in respondents voicing concern over general food safety (50% in 2007 from 56%). However, there was a significant increase in concern about food hygiene in supermarkets (up to 15% from 6% in 2006)
• Almost half (45%) of respondents claimed to 'always' or 'usually' look at labels on products when buying them for the first time. However, compared to the rest of the UK, they are less likely to always refer to labels (25% in Scotland compared to 31% in the UK)
• Around half of respondents in the survey did not know the difference between ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates on food.²

Highlights relating to diet and nutrition include:

• More than three quarters (76%) of consumers are now aware that we should be eating at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables each day³ and 54%, also a significant improvement on last year, claimed to be putting this into practice by eating at least ‘5-a-day’.4
• The amount of fat, salt and sugar in foods are still among the top food issues of concern among consumers, and the quantity of fat and salt are the most commonly checked for nutritional information on labels.⁵ However, the percentage of people who are concerned about these is down since 2006 - fat to 32% from 42%; sugar to 31% from 39%; saturated fat from 38% to 30% and salt from 44% to 40%
• Four out of five respondents claimed that healthy eating is important to them, and 85% also believed that a limited budget is not a barrier to healthy eating

Bill Adamson, Head of Strategic Policy and Consumer Engagement Branch, Food Standards Agency Scotland (FSAS), said:

'There are some particularly encouraging aspects of this report, specifically in relation to the ‘5 a day’ message. There was also a dip in concern over many food safety issues which could point to growing consumer confidence in the regulation of the food industry. Alternatively, it might indicate a decreasing awareness of the importance of food hygiene – and this is something we will be addressing during Food Safety Week in June.

'The report however does indicate that respondents in Scotland are less likely than the UK as a whole to try to cut down on fatty foods. ⁶

'This shows how critical it is that the Agency continues to raise awareness around a healthier diet and provides clear information and advice, backed up by scientific evidence.

'The Agency has also recognised that there is a need to not just provide information and advice, but to help change people’s behaviour in relation to food and the choices they make. The FSA has recently appointed a Head of Social Science Research and formed a Social Science Committee which will be able to look at how this may be achieved.'

Along with monitoring awareness of key food issues, the Consumer Attitudes Survey also tracks awareness of the FSA and its role in providing clear consumer advice. Figures of note include:

• Consumer awareness of the FSA in Scotland remains at a constant high of 81%. Trust in the FSA is also high at 69%, up from 49% when this question was first asked in 2001
• 71% of consumers are now describing themselves as confident in the role played by the Agency to protect health with regards to food safety, compared with 55% in 2000
• A third of consumers in Scotland view the FSA as an organisation that they would go to for information on food safety and food scares, and one in five cited the Agency as a source of advice on healthy eating