Food Safety Is A Major Issue For Consumers, Food Industry Professionals

Recent news coverage of tainted beef, salmonella-infected eggs and contaminated Gulf shrimp are having an impact on consumer and food professional spending patterns, new U.S./Norwegian research finds. Web-based surveys of 400 consumers and 75 food companies, including manufacturers, distributors and retailers, found that safe and healthy food is the number one priority, though recycling, social justice, green practices, economic viability and animal welfare are also important, especially as indicators of sustainability. Domestic meat products are a serious concern among consumers along with products coming from international sources. The research also found that many food suppliers are putting certification audits in place to manage food safety risk through traceability tools. “Industry professionals place more emphasis on traceability, while consumers want to see the certification on product labels,” said one researcher.