Food quality incomprehensible

Majority of consumers have difficulty checking food quality

17.09.2012

The quality requirements of consumers in the food sector have changed significantly in Germany in recent decades. In the past, the focus was primarily on the price of shopping, but today many Germans attach great importance to the fresh and quality of food. However, in the supermarket it is difficult for most consumers to understand the quality of individual foods, according to a representative study by the Allensbach Institute for Demoscopy on behalf of the food company Nestlé.

According to the results of the current study, the majority of consumers (58%) have difficulty assessing the quality of food. Especially with prepacked foods, ready meals and frozen products, but also with milk, muesli, sausage and cheese many customers see little possibilities to check the quality. However, most Germans are convinced of the generally high quality of food - 76 percent of respondents rated it as part of the Allensbach study „Well“ to „very well“.

Higher quality standards of consumers
A total of 1,671 consumer interviews were conducted in the current study and 120 so-called opinion leaders and 31 experts from German trading companies were interviewed. On the one hand, consumers today clearly emphasize quality, but on the other hand, they have considerable difficulty in checking their quality standards when shopping. Two thirds of respondents see potential quality risks in cultivation, rearing and processing. On the other hand, the importance of transport and possible interruptions to the cold chain are clearly underestimated, according to Nestlé's statement on the latest study results.

Quality of ready meals and frozen food not verifiable
Consumers have difficulty understanding the quality of different foods. In the first place, ready meals were mentioned here. Eighty-five percent of respondents said that the quality of products such as bagged or canned soups was hardly verifiable for them. According to estimates of 82 percent of the study participants in frozen foods, the possibilities for self-monitoring are comparably poor. But also the quality of sausage and cheese from the refrigerated shelf classified 75 percent of respondents as not verifiable. 69 percent get the same result with cereals and cereal. Of the 1,671 respondents, a total of 58 percent stated that the quality of food was generally difficult for them to assess.

Mistrust of food manufacturers and inspectors
The Allensbach Institute also noted in the current survey a latent mistrust of consumers not only towards the food manufacturers, but also to the food controls. Nearly half (47 percent) expressed doubts about the efficiency of state controls. Only 17 percent of respondents said that they trust manufacturers in terms of quality assurance. There is a clear contrast between the development of consumer quality standards and the assessment of the actual development of food quality. Only 20 percent of the consumers surveyed were convinced that food quality has improved in recent years. 40 percent, however, believe that today's food is unhealthier and more contaminated. The surveyed opinion leaders and experts come here, however, to another assessment. They are 51 percent convinced that the quality of food today is better than five to ten years ago.

In the end, the price decides when you buy groceries
Although 58 percent of respondents said quality was a deciding factor for them when buying groceries, 51 percent said they pay attention to a particularly low price in the supermarket. The quality itself, the consumers are mainly stuck to the freshness and taste. 83 percent of respondents said that high quality meant food for them „as fresh as possible“ and „taste good“. In addition, 63 percent of the study participants felt that foods should generally taste natural and therefore contain little artificial flavoring. Species-appropriate livestock farming was also an important factor in terms of food quality for 58 percent. The same applies to the waiver of pesticides (called by 50 percent of respondents) and genetic engineering (53 percent). More than half of the subjects (52 percent) also considered that quality food „as natural as possible“ should be made.

Responsible consumers with high quality standards
Responsibility for ensuring quality is seen by most of the respondents to food manufacturers, although they are well aware that consumer choice can influence quality of life through targeted purchasing decisions. A responsible in this respect buying behavior, however, so far only the so-called „Quality Eater“. According to the latest study results, they account for about a quarter (26 percent) of consumers and attach great importance to high quality. Besides the good taste and the high food safety is for the „Quality Eater“ a healthy diet is especially important. They also attach great importance to sustainable production and animal welfare. More than half of the „Quality Eater“ are female, over the age of 30, have a relatively high income and are well educated. They are also much more often on the weekly market (60 percent) or in farm shops (42 percent) than the average of the population. (Fp)

Read about:
Unhealthy diet damages the brain
Eating Study: Less and less time to eat
Fat substitutes harmful to health?
Allergies through western diet
Normal diet is best for building muscle

Picture: Rolf Handke