Trace One’s survey of shoppers across nine countries found that despite buying private food brands often, they do not trust the safety and quality of the foods they eat.
The independent online survey of more than 3,000 consumers was conducted in the summer of 2015 in Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the US and the UK.
Only 12% of the consumers surveyed said that they wholeheartedly trust the safety of the private and National food brands they consume.
About 10% wholeheartedly trust the quality.
In fact, 27% of consumers do not even trust the information on food product labels.
About 95% of consumers buy private brands, but trust was not a driver of that action.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they chose private brands because of lower prices, whereas 22% said they buy private brands because they trust the product’s quality.
“The good news is that consumers worldwide have embraced the value of private brands, but the bad news is that they still do not trust the quality, safety and ingredient documentation of any food brand – be it private or National,” said CMO Chris Morrison.
“Consumers are demanding more information and want reassurances that the foods they’re eating are safe – and originating from reliable sources.”
“Brands that go above and beyond to share accurate and reliable product information with consumers will ultimately be rewarded with increased consumer trust.”
Other key survey findings are as follow:
•Of those consumers who do not buy private brands, 25% named fewer choices and 24% cited lower food quality as their top reasons,
•About 91% of respondents say it is important to them to know where their food comes from, but 62% say they are not provided with enough information about what is in their food and its origins,
•84% of respondents believe food retailers and manufacturers are responsible for private brand food quality and safety, and
•36% believe food retailers or manufacturers do not act quickly enough or provide timely information during health scares.
