Consumer Trust in the Food System

Research Study Highlights

October, 2007

Background and Research Objectives

This research was commissioned by CMA to provide a benchmark of consumer attitudes toward key issues associated with the U.S. food system.  Future studies will build upon these findings by exploring the reasons these attitudes are held.  Specific objectives of this study include:

Gauge the level of concern consumers have about key issues related to the U.S. food system including: 1) food safety, 2) good nutrition, 3) treatment of workers in the food system, 4) environmental protection, and 5) the humane treatment of farm animals.

Within each of these key food system issues, understand the perceptions of Competence, Confidence, Responsibility, Trust and Willingness to Comply with the key groups.

Identify sources of information about the food system used by consumers. 

Measure additional attitudes and beliefs about the U.S. food supply.

Methodology and Sample Design

The data were collected in August and September of 2007 via a Web survey administered through Survey Sampling International’s Web consumer panel.   Study participants were primarily responsible for purchasing food for preparation in the home and required to shop for food at least one time per week.  Participants were also required to be between the ages of 21 and 65.

A total of 2008 surveys were collected across four Census Bureau regions:  Northeast (505), South (500), Midwest (500) and West (503).

Summary Findings

Concern About Food System Issues

Consumers were asked to rate their concern about five issues rated to the food system, using a 0 to 10 scale: 

0 to 3 ratings indicate relatively low level of concern

4 to 7 ratings indicate relatively ambivalent level of concern

8 to 10 ratings indicate relatively strong level of concern 

“Please tell us how CONCERNED you are about the following issues related to the food system. Give a rating of 0 if you have no concern, and a rating of 10 if you are very concerned about these issues. You can use any number between 0 and 10 to express your opinion.”

Consumer Trust in Food System Issues

Select Highlights

For each of the five food system issues (Food Safety, Nutrition, Environmental Protection, Humane Treatment of Farm Animals and Worker Care), consumers were asked to rate several relevant groups in terms of the Trust Model components:  Competence, Confidence, Responsibility, Trust and Willingness to Comply.

Consumer Trust in Food Safety

Consumers hold farmers/producers and food companies/processors most responsible for food safety, yet they have lower perception of competence, confidence, trust and willingness to comply with recommendations for these groups than they have in themselves. 

²Trust rating based on a 0 to 10 scale, with 0 indicating no concern, and 10 indicating a strong level of concern. 

³Responsibility rating based on allocation of 100 points across groups, allocating more points to groups they feel should be more responsible.

Consumer Trust in Nutrition

While consumers primarily held themselves responsible for ensuring good nutrition, they also held farmers/producers, food companies/processors and federal regulatory agencies responsible for good nutrition. Consumers trust themselves most to ensure good nutrition of the food they eat, followed by doctors and dieticians, farmers/producers, grocery stores  and restaurants.

²Trust rating based on a 0 to 10 scale, with 0 indicating no concern, and 10 indicating a strong level of concern. 

³Responsibility rating based on allocation of 100 points across groups, allocating more points to groups they feel should be more responsible.

Consumer Trust in Environmental Protection

While consumers hold “people like themselves”, federal regulatory agencies and farmers/producers most responsible for ensuring environmental protection, they have only moderate levels of trust in any of these groups. 

²Trust rating based on a 0 to 10 scale, with 0 indicating no concern, and 10 indicating a strong level of concern. 

³Responsibility rating based on allocation of 100 points across groups, allocating more points to groups they feel should be more responsible.

Consumer Trust in the Humane Treatment of Farm Animals

Consumers hold farmers/producers primarily responsible for the humane treatment of farm animals, yet have only moderate trust in their ability to do a good job and act in a manner consistent with consumer values and ethics.

²Trust rating based on a 0 to 10 scale, with 0 indicating no concern, and 10 indicating a strong level of concern. 

³Responsibility rating based on allocation of 100 points across groups, allocating more points to groups they feel should be more responsible.

Consumer Trust in Worker Care

Consumers hold federal regulatory agencies, employees and food companies/processors primarily responsible for ensuring worker care, yet they have only a moderate level of trust in these groups to accomplish the goals.

²Trust rating based on a 0 to 10 scale, with 0 indicating no concern, and 10 indicating a strong level of concern. 

³Responsibility rating based on allocation of 100 points across groups, allocating more points to groups they feel should be more responsible.

 Survey Sampling International is a world leader in providing actively managed sample sources for Web-based surveys.  Panelists are recruited through thousands of web sites. SSI works with web sites directly as well as with data aggregators. The bulk of the recruitment is contracted through aggregators to help ensure expansive reach to thousands of web properties and millions of visitors to those properties. This approach is designed to optimize the probability that the panel reflects the overall composition of that segment of the population (close to 70%) that can be reached online.