Pulse Report: Food Safety from a Consumer Perspective

To gauge public concern over time, this report uses the findings from two online surveys: one in January 2004 and another in April 2005.

What we found is that public concern for the safety of food remains high and is a growing trend.

Moreover, consumers view food safety, not only related to a specific outbreak, but as encompassing all facets of getting food from the ground to the table including proper harvesting, handling, storing, packaging, washing, and preparation. In the minds of consumers "food safety" denotes food that is "free of" or "clean" of contaminants, bacteria, or additives that can make one sick. To some consumers, this includes foods that are fresh and organic.

Report Overview

• The report begins with a review of the rising rates of news headlines about food safety and related topics such as "salmonella," "E. coli," pesticides, "genetically modified organisms" and BSE.
• We then examine how consumers talk about food safety, how they define it, and which food categories are of highest concern.
• Once consumer definitions of food safety have been established, the report looks at consumer perceptions of and level of concern for food safety in various locations, such as restaurants, supermarkets, and their homes.
• Finally, we look at how consumer concerns differ by wellness segment, Periphery, Mid-Level and Core.

In addition to over 50 charts and tables, the report includes a neurolinguistic map that visually depicts how consumers arrange words and meanings to communicate feelings about food safety.