|
What's New
See what's in store for the New Year in Food Culture. Download our new "Looking Forward in Food Culture 2012" report. |
Food Safety: Consumers Feel Least in Control
2005-08-10
BELLEVUE, WA, August 10, 2005 - The Hartman Group, a Bellevue WA-based consumer research firm, identifies that among three primary spheres where food safety concerns arise, dining out is the occasion when consumers feel that they have the least control over the safety of their food. Consumers feel most in control over food safety in their homes, and feel somewhat in control over food safety in supermarkets, in particular because they use a number of tactile methods to judge when food is safe to purchase in stores.
In its latest report, Pulse Report: Food Safety from a Consumer Perspective, The Hartman Group examines these three food safety spheres and a broad set of factors that intersect with food safety, including consumer definitions of the term, as well as consumer concerns about specific foodborne illnesses, food production methods and food ingredients and categories.
The report examines changes in attitudes about food safety from 2004 to 2005 and shows that despite the fact that food safety has a national scope in terms of threats to the food supply or to regional outbreaks of various foodborne illnesses, consumers appear focused on a more personal process of protecting themselves and their families from harm and sickness due to the consumption of unsafe foods. Hartman Group ethnographic researchers observed that when asked to define what food safety means to them, consumers see it as a term that designates an "absence of harm" derived from eating foods that are "free of" or "clean" of contaminants, bacteria, or additives that might make themselves or their families sick.
"Consumers are concerned about food safety in a variety of settings and have developed mind-sets about what they view as proper food handling and preparation" says Laurie Demeritt, The Hartman Group's President and COO. "They are really looking for peace of mind with regard to foods that they and their families consume. For example, our findings show that one way restaurants and supermarkets can communicate food safety is to prepare items directly in front of consumers as opposed to behind the scenes. Shoppers see open preparation as a sign of freshness, and they feel a little more in control over what they are buying."
About The Hartman Group
The Hartman Group, founded in 1989, is a full-service consulting and market research firm offering a wide range of services and products focused on consumer understanding. We specialize in the analysis and understanding of consumer lifestyles - including how they LIVE, where they SHOP and what they USE.
About About Food Safety from a Consumer Perspective
Pulse Report: Food Safety from a Consumer Perspective is the result of online focus groups and identical online surveys that were fielded in 2004 and 2005. The quantitative research components of the report consisted of two national online surveys of food safety attitudes. Samples for the online surveys and focus groups were drawn from Hartman Interactive, The Hartman Group's online consumer panel.
For press inquiries and further information please contact:
For general, non-press related inquiries, please contact info@hartman-group.com
Blaine Becker
Senior Director, Marketing & Business Relations
blaine@hartman-group.com
425-452-0818 ext. 124
For general, non-press related inquiries, please contact info@hartman-group.com
