Food safety concerns among South Korean consumers have spurred an upsurge in the membership of the country’s largest food cooperative, Hansalim, which sells mainly organic, locally grown vegetables and other food products. Concerns about food safety reached a critical stage after outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease and avian influenza in 2010 forced the slaughter of millions of livestock. Hansalim’s membership leapt by 20 percent to 250,900 during the year, completely by word of mouth because the cooperative spends no money on advertising. Hansalim operates 110 stores in South Korea, which together posted about $162 million in sales in 2010, a small number compared to leading discount store chains such as E-mart, whose product line is globally sourced.
"S. Korean consumers set sights on local food", YonHap NewsAgency, March 21, 2011
A survey commissioned by the U.K.’s Food Standards Agency to obtain information on consumer attitudes toward food safety and healthy eating has found that most said they follow recommended safety practices for cleaning, cross-contamination, chilling and cooking of food, although a sizeable minority (41 percent) always wash raw meat and poultry, which is not recommended. The survey also found that many respondents were not sure of the best temperature for food storage and didn’t know how to tell whether food was unsafe to eat. On the topic of healthy eating, the survey found that most rated eating fruit and vegetables as very important, along with eating less salt and fewer foods high in saturated fat.
"Exploring food attitudes and behaviours in the UK: Findings from the Food and You Survey 2010", Food Standards Agency, UK, March 03, 2011
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