2016 food labels survey public report (consumer reports)

8/17/2019 2016 Food Labels Survey Public Report (Consumer Reports)

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CONSUMER REPORTS® NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTERSurvey Research Report

Food Labels Survey2016 Nationally-Representative Phone Survey

April 6, 2016


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Consumer Reports® National Research Center

IntroductonIn e!ruary, 2016, the Consumer Reports® National Research Center con"ucte" a nationallyrepresentative phone survey to assess consumer opinion re#ar"in# the la!elin# o$ $oo"%&pinion Research Corporation '&RC( o$ Princeton, Ne) *ersey a"ministere" the survey to anationally representative sample o$ 1,001 a"ult +%S% resi"ents 'hal$ o$ the respon"ents )ere

)omen( throu#h its CARAAN &mni!us Survey% Respon"ents )ere selecte" !y means o$ ran"om-"i#it "ialin# an" )ere intervie)e" via phone% he "ata )ere statistically )ei#hte" sothat respon"ents in the survey are "emo#raphically an" #eo#raphically representative o$ the+%S% population% his report summari.es the /n"in#s $rom this survey%

H!"l!"ts

CONSUMER FOO# SHOPPIN$ %EHA&IORS

More Consu'ers %uy Natural Food t"an Or!anc Food

• A #reater percenta#e o$ consumers !uy natural '( versus or#anic '34( $oo"% 5hen

ase" a!out the price o$ natural versus or#anic $oo", many '6( consumers say or#anic$oo" is more e7pensive than natural $oo"% Interestin#ly, a 8uarter say there is little price

"i9erence !et)een natural an" or#anic $oo"%

Most Consu'ers (lln! to Pay More )or Fruts*&e!etables Produced Under Far (or+ Condtons

• :ost consumers ';( are )illin# to pay more per poun" $or $ruits an" ve#eta!les

pro"uce" !y )orers )ho earne" a livin# )a#e an" )ere treate" $airly%

Consu'ers are Loo+n! at Labels on Processed Foods to Hel, In)or' Frst T'ePurc"ase #ecsons

• he clear ma


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Consu'ers See+ In)or'aton About Food Or!n

• he over)helmin# ma


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Consu'ers (ant Fructose Or!n Labeln!

• Nearly 4 out o$ 10 consumers )ant the ori#in o$ $ructose to !e liste" on la!els%

• 5hen ase" a!out the ori#in o$ $ructose, many consumers say $ructose coul" !e ma"e $rom

hi#h $ructose corn syrup '6(, su#ar caneE!eets '66(, or $ruit '3(%

CLAIMS OF HUMANE TREATMENT OF (OR3ERS AN# ANIMALS

Consu'ers (ant More Strn!ent Standards )or .Far Trade2 Label on Food

• 5hile many consumers thin that the B$air tra"e la!el on $oo" currently means that farm

workers were provided with a fair living wage '61(, farm workers were provided withhealthy working conditions '61(, the food was produced by small,scale independent farmers '30(, or no to!ic pesticides were used 'D(= an even #reater percenta#e $eelthat this la!el should mean that farm workers were provided with a fair living wage ';(,farm workers were provided with healthy working conditions '40(, the food was producedby small,scale independent farmers '62(, or no to!ic pesticides were used '64(%

Consu'ers Have H!" E/,ectatons )or Hu'anely Rased Cla' on E!!s4 #ary andMeat

• :any consumers thin a humanely raise" claim on e##s, "airy an" meat currently means

the farm was inspected to verify this claim '42(, the animals had ade-uate living space'(, the animals were slaughtered humanely '1(, the animals went outdoors '64(,the animals were raised in houses with clean air .% , or the animals were raised without cages '3(% Accor"in#ly, a #reater percenta#e o$ consumers !elieve this claim shouldmean that the farm was inspected to verify this claim '44(, the animals had ade-uateliving space '46(, the animals were slaughtered humanely '40(, the animals were raisedin houses with clean air .23%, the animals went outdoors '4(, or the animals wereraised without ca#es '66(%

D


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CONSUMER FOO# SHOPPIN$ %EHA&IORS

More Consu'ers %uy Natural Food t"an Or!anc FoodA #reater percenta#e o$ consumers typically !uy natural '( versus or#anic '34( $oo"%5hen ase" a!out the price o$ natural versus or#anic $oo", many '6( consumers say or#anic

$oo" is more e7pensive than natural $oo"% Interestin#ly, a 8uarter say there is little price"i9erence !et)een natural an" or#anic $oo"%

Consu'er Perce,ton o) Cost o) Natural vs5 Or!anc Food

4ase5 All respondents .1001

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Most Consu'ers (lln! to Pay More )or Fruts*&e!etables Produced Under Far (or+ Condtons:ost consumers ';( are )illin# to pay more per poun" $or $ruits an" ve#eta!les pro"uce" !y)orers )ho earne" a livin# )a#e an" )ere treate" $airly% &ur 201D oo" Ga!els Survey1 also$oun" that ; o$ consumers are )illin# to pay more= ho)ever, compare" to 201D, there )as a

sli#ht increase in the percenta#e )illin# to pay a "ollar more '1D in 2016 versus ; in 201D(%

Consu'er (lln!ness to Pay More )or Far Trade Fruts*&e!etables

6789 678:

6ould be willing to pay more ."et 27% 27%

10 cents more per poun" 22 20

23 cents more 22 14

30 cents more 20 21

&ne "ollar more ; 1D

:ore than one "ollar more per poun" 3 6

5oul" N& !e )illin# to pay any more 14 14

otal 1008 1001

4ase5 All respondents

Consu'ers are Loo+n! at Labels on Processed Foods to Hel, In)or' Frst T'ePurc"ase #ecsons he clear ma


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LA%ELIN$ AN# SAFET- STAN#AR#S

Most Consu'ers %eleve .$RAS. Means F#A #ee'ed t"e In!redent Sa)e Companies primarily !rin# ne) $oo" in#re"ients to maret throu#h an >A system calle" ?RAS,)hich stan"s $or @#enerally reco#ni.e" as sa$e% :any consumers !elieve that B?RAS means

the FDA has evaluated the ingredient and deems it to be sa$e '( or the FDA keeps track of the new ingredient's safety and use '66(, thou#h this is not true% o)ever, 1 thin thatB?RAS means that the company using the ingredient deems it to be safe, )hich is true%

("at Consu'ers T"n+ .$RAS2 Means


Consu'ers (ant Sa'e Un)or' US#A Standards Across Co',anes5hen consumers )ere tol" that the +S>A o$ten allo)s companies to set their o)n stan"ar"s

on meat, the clear ma


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Consu'er O,non o) Re;ured Federal Standards )or OR$ANIC Fs"


Seven out o$ 10 consumers thin the +S>Ashoul" N& permit the use o$ non-or#anicin#re"ients in or#anic $oo" pro"uction i$ theyare N& "eeme" essential%


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Consu'ers See+ In)or'aton about Food Or!n he over)helmin# ma=>isa#ree )ith the "ecision !y Con#ress to repeal more

speci/c country o$ ori#in la!elin#

;


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Consu'ers (ant Standards )or Meat Rased 0t" #ru!s:any consumers reporte" !ein# e!tremely or very concerned that routinely $ee"in# healthyanimals anti!iotics an" other "ru#s may allow animals to be raised in crowded and unsanitary conditions '64(, create new bacteria that cause illnesses that antibiotics cannot cure '63(,lead to environmental pollution '3(, or articially promote growth '31(%

Consu'er Concerns Re!ardn! Feedn! #ru!s to Healt"y An'als

4ase5 All respondents .10019oncerned : (!tremely/;ery concerned"ot concerned : "ot very/"ot at all concerned

:ost '4( consumers thin animals shoul"not !e #iven hormones, ractopamine or other#ro)th promotin# "ru#s%

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5hen consumers see the Braise" )ithout anti!iotics la!el on meat, hal$ correctly thin thismeans no antibiotics were administered to the animal


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No"i9erence 12

:oreliely6

Gessliely31


Consu'ers (ant Stron! Federal Sa)ety and Labeln! Standards )or $enetcallyEn!neered FoodAn over)helmin# mat purchase salmon : 3%= ?nsure : 1%

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Consu'ers Have H!" E/,ectatons )or .$rass1)ed2 Label on MeatConsumers )ere ase" a!out their perception o$ the B#rass-$e" la!el on meat% :any !elievethis la!el shoul" mean the animal was e!clusively fed grass for $& of its life '6;(, theanimal's diet was 100% grass for its (")*( life '66(, the animal was allowed to gra+e ongrass during the pasture growing season, but ate grain other times '60(, or the animal was

not routinely given drugs such as antibiotics and hormones '34(%

Consu'er O,non o) ("at $RASS1FE# Label on Meat S"ould Mean


Si7 out o$ 10 consumers thin companies shoul" !e a!le to mae a partial #rass-$e" claim i$ theanimals "iet )as less than 100 #rass%

Many Consu'ers #on2t Understand .No Ntrates2 LabelNearly t)o-thir"s o$ consumers thin a Bno nitrates la!el means no nitrates at all, )hether $roman arti/cial or natural source, )ere use"= ho)ever, this is not true%

Consu'er Perce,ton o) NO NITRATES Label


)o thir"s o$ consumers are a)are o$ the recent 5orl" ealth &r#ani.ation conclusion thatsome processe" meats can increase the ris o$ cancer= over a thir" )ere un)are o$ this /n"in#%Consu'ers (ant Fructose Or!n Labeln!

Nearly 4 out o$ 10 consumers )ant the ori#in o$ $ructose to !e liste" on la!els% 5hen ase"a!out the ori#in o$ $ructose, many consumers say $ructose coul" !e ma"e $rom hi#h $ructose

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corn syrup '6(, su#ar caneE!eets '66(, or $ruit '3(%

Consu'er Perce,ton o) Or!n o) Fructose


1D


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CLAIMS OF HUMANE TREATMENT OF (OR3ERS AN# ANIMALS

Consu'ers (ant More Strn!ent Standards )or .Far Trade2 Label on Food5hile many consumers thin that the B$air tra"e la!el on $oo" currently means that farmworkers were provided with a fair living wage '61(, farm workers were provided with healthy

working conditions '61(, the food was produced by small,scale independent farmers '30(, orno to!ic pesticides were used 'D(= an even #reater percenta#e $eel that this la!el shouldmean that farm workers were provided with a fair living wage ';(, farm workers were provided with healthy working conditions '40(, the food was produced by small,scaleindependent farmers '62(, or no to!ic pesticides were used '64(%

Consu'er Perce,ton o) FAIR TRA#E Label on Food


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Consu'ers Have H!" E/,ectatons )or Hu'anely Rased Cla' on E!!s4 #ary andMeat:any consumers thin a humanely raise" claim on e##s, "airy an" meat currently means thefarm was inspected to verify this claim '42(, the animals had ade-uate living space '(,the animals were slaughtered humanely '1(, the animals went outdoors '64(, the animals

were raised in houses with clean air .% , or the animals were raised without cages '3(%Accor"in#ly, a #reater percenta#e o$ consumers !elieve this claim should mean that the farmwas inspected to verify this claim '44(, the animals had ade-uate living space '46(, theanimals were slaughtered humanely '40(, the animals were raised in houses with clean air .23%, the animals went outdoors '4(, or the animals were raised without ca#es '66(%

Consu'er Perce,ton o) HUMANEL- RAISE# Cla' on E!!s4 #ary and Meat


Su''ary&ur /n"in#s sho) a clear ma

2016 food labels survey public report (consumer reports)

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