Recent study highlights consumer concerns and expectations about food transparency
By: Kate Ayers
Print and Online News Reporter
More Canadians feel the food system is heading in the right direction, according to recent research from the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI).
Overall, consumer confidence has improved, jumping to 43 per cent this year over last year’s figure of 30 per cent, the CCFI Public Trust Research report said.
The percentage of Canadians who aren’t sure if our system is headed in the right direction has dropped to 43 per cent, down from 50 per cent in 2016.
Consumers think food companies are the most responsible for providing information about food, the report says. Other stakeholders in the supply chain who ranked as responsible for transparency include: farmers, government, restaurants and grocery stores.
“Canadians are looking for credible information to make informed decisions about their food,” Crystal Mackay, president of CCFI, said in the release. “This research reinforces that everyone in the Canadian food system, from the farm through to grocery stores and restaurants, should engage in conversations about food.”
Consumers want more information about food safety, environment and farm animal treatment, the study found. In terms of transparency, Canadians were most concerned about accuracy.
Many Canadians do not know a lot about their food or where it comes from but they are eager to learn, the study said. The rising cost of food and keeping healthy food affordable were Canadians’ top two concerns for the second year in a row.
Over 1,300 Canadians participated in the CCFI Public Trust Research in June. The study focused on consumers’ concern, trust and transparency expectations about the production of food.
The results of the study will be the focus of discussions among leaders from across the Canadian food system at the CCFI Public Trust Summit in Calgary this week.