Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland publishes Consumer Attitudes to Food Survey 2003

Tuesday 24 February 2004

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) today publishes the fourth Northern Ireland survey of consumer attitudes to food.

The annual survey provides detailed information of consumers¿ knowledge, behaviour and awareness of food issues.

The 2003 survey highlights a number of trends that have emerged since 2000.

These include:

• concerns about hygiene in catering outlets have increased significantly since last year (49% in 2000, 43% in 2001, 49% in 2002 up to 59% in 2003) and cleanliness has consistently been the most prominent cause of concern (mentioned by 88% of those who had a concern)
• year on year there have been regular increases in the number claiming to look for nutrition information on food labels (45% in 2000, 46% in 2001, 53% in 2002 and 58% in 2003)
• an increase in awareness of the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland (41% in 2002, up to 47% in 2003)
• correct knowledge of 'at least five portions' of fruit and vegetables has increased year on year (44% in 2000, 53% in 2002 up to 60% in 2003), though there has been little change in the number actually claiming to eat the recommended amount (19% in 2000, 23% in 2001, 24% in 2002 and 21% in 2003)
• a trend towards increasing concerns about the safety of all types of meat (72% in 2000, 62% in 2001, 79% in 2002 rising to 84% in 2003)

Further findings from the Northern Ireland Consumer Attitudes to Food Survey 2003 include:

Food labelling

• Significantly more consumers claimed to look for nutrition information on food labels (45% in 2000, 46% in 2001, 53% in 2002 and 58% in 2003) and the general trend would seem to be of increasing interest in this issue.
• The majority continue to think that food labels are easy to understand (64%) and that they contain about the right amount of information (57%). However concerns about the accuracy of food labelling have increased significantly (40% of those with concerns compared to 32% or less in previous years).
• Understanding of some types of label information remains poor. Only 27% of NI respondents could correctly identify the main ingredient when shown a typical food label. Understanding of 'best before' date information is also at a low level; however there was a significant increase in the correct interpretation of the 'use-by' date.
• 48% of NI respondents were concerned about the accuracy of health claims on food labels though the majority (58%) of this group were 'fairly' rather than 'very concerned'.

General food safety, hygiene and food issues concerns

• 71% of NI respondents remain concerned about food safety issues and there was a slight increase in the level of concern this year, taking it to significantly higher than in 2000 and 2001.
• Between 45% and 52% were concerned about the amount of fat, salt and sugar in food.
• Meat remains the key food safety issue, with concern about almost every type of meat having increased this year despite a decline in the level of concern about BSE (64% in 2000, 43% in 2001, 53% in 2002 down to 41% in 2003) and the feed given to livestock (44% in 2000, 34% in 2001, 41% in 2002 and 37% in 2003).
• A significant increase in claimed change in eating behaviour due to concerns about food safety.

Shopping and eating habits

• Most food shopping is done at supermarkets (86%), but local shops play an important role in 'top-up' shopping (92%).
• The majority (46%) shop for food once or twice a week.
• 57% of respondents claimed to enjoy cooking and 60% prepared meals from fresh or raw ingredients at least once a day.
• 59% of those interviewed claimed to sit down once a day and eat their main meal with other household members.

Healthy eating and nutrition

• The number correctly stating that one should eat more vegetables/salad and fruit increased significantly from last year (up 7 percentage points to 60%).
• There has been a significant increase in the number of respondents aware of the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables to be consumed every day i.e. at least five portions (53% in 2002; 60% this year).
• However, there has been no change in the number claiming to have eaten at least five portions yesterday (21%). This remains at almost the same level as in 2000 (19%).

Foodborne disease

• There was a slight increase this year in the number of people claiming to have experienced foodborne illness in the last twelve months (12%).
• There was no significant change in the number attributing this to food consumed outside the home (85% in 2002, 80% in 2003).

Food Standards Agency Awareness/Perceptions

• Overall awareness of the FSA showed a slight increase in 2003 (to 75%) and awareness of the FSA Northern Ireland increased significantly this year (from 41% in 2002 to 47% in 2003).
• Perceptions of the FSA among NI respondents were similar in 2003 to 2002. Some 34% perceive the Agency as providing unbiased information, though a substantial proportion still believe it reflects the views of the food industry (22%) or the government (27%).

The 2003 UK survey highlights a number of key trends that have emerged since 2000. These include:

• A significant decline in consumer concern over BSE (down to 42% in 2003 from 61% in 2000 - a drop of 19%).
• A decline in consumer concern about the safety of meat - particularly raw meat (down to 63% in 2003 from 70% in 2000) and raw beef (down to 38% in 2003 from 53% in 2000).
• A year-on-year increase in the number of consumers who are aware that we should eat 5 portions of a variety of fruit and veg each day (up from 43% in 2000 to 59% in 2003).
• One-third of consumers (37%) felt that they had changed their eating habits over the last year and were now eating more healthily, with only 6% believing that their diet was currently less healthy than a year ago.

Notes to Editors:

The survey was devised to help track any changes in Northern Ireland consumer opinions about food since the Agency was set up in April 2000.

This helps the FSA improve its knowledge and understanding of consumer views, as well as to help gauge changes of public confidence in food safety.

This is the fourth year that the Agency's Consumer Attitudes to Food Survey has been running.

The FSA will be publishing a new strategic plan for 2005-2010 later this year and the questions in future surveys will be revised to reflect that plan. However, boxline measures on perceptions of the FSA will remain unchanged.

Research for the Consumer Attitudes to Food survey 2003 was carried out between 1 September and 14 October 2003 by Taylor Nelson Sofres for the Food Standards Agency.

A total of 706 Northern Ireland consumers were interviewed face-to-face in their homes using CAPI technology.