Consumers increasingly concerned about food safety and environment: Study

Consumers are increasingly concerned about food safety, at the same time concern for the environment remains strikingly powerful in the pandemic times, according to a study conducted by Tetra Pak in collaboration with Ipsos.

The 13th edition of the Tetra Pak Index saw a nearly 10 per cent increase in global concern about food safety and future food supplies, compared to 2019. In addition, more than 50 per cent of consumers not only believe that improving food safety is the responsibility of manufacturers, they see it as the number one issue that companies need to tackle now and in the future, the report said.

“According to this year’s research, health is deeply connected to heightened issues of food safety and hygiene -- with two-thirds of consumers saying that being healthy is being safe and 60 per cent of consumers globally saying they worry about the food they buy being hygienic and safe,” the company said in a statement.

"57 per cent of consumers globally state they are likely to avoid products which have a lot of packaging, with China (71 per cent ), India (60 per cent) and the UK (59 per cent) over-indexing," the company added.

“Online conversations in India show a strong link between reducing food waste and preventing hunger, with a focus on the responsibilities of government, business and individuals to work together to that end. There is a growing demand for transparency around production methods and provenance.,” the statement added.