Food Safety in the Republic of Ireland: Attitudes Among Industry, Consumers and Young People Report to the Consultative Council of the FSAI

Food Safety in the Republic of Ireland: Attitudes among Industry, Consumers and Young People Report to the Consultative Council of the FSAI

Food safety in the Republic of Ireland Attitudes among industry, consumers and young people

This report was prepared for publication by safefood and the FSAI for presentation to the Consultative Council of the FSAI

October 2007

1. Introduction

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s (FSAI) Food Safety Consultative Council (FSCC) was established under the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act, 1998. The Food Safety Consultative Council of the FSAI acts as a forum for debate on food safety issues and provides advice to the FSAI Board on areas of relevance. The first Consultative Council was in place for the five years and had reached the end of its term. A new Consultative Council, chaired by Ms Veronica Campbell, has now been established and held its first meeting on 7th December 2006. The Consultative Council meets quarterly, and through the course of its meetings, examines segments of the food chain, from farm to fork, to review the food safety initiatives already in place and those required to ensure consumers’ interests are to the forefront. The Consultative Council is a constructive vehicle for consumers and industry to provide input to the agenda of the FSAI. For further details of the members of the Food Safety Consultative Council please see www.fsai.ie.

The underlying objectives of the Food Safety Consultative Council are to:

• Advise the FSAI Board on specific issues • Enable the FSAI to discharge its function to consult widely for the purposes of promoting higher food safety standards • Progress the food safety agenda. safefood, the Food Safety Promotion Board, is an implementation body established under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement on 2 December 1999. The Board's governing legislation is the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999 and the North-South Co-operation (Implementation Bodies) Northern Ireland Order 1999. The governing legislation confers the following specific functions on the board:

• Promotion of food safety • Research into food safety • Communication of food alerts • Surveillance of foodborne disease • Promotion of scientific co-operation and laboratory linkages • Development of cost-effective facilities for specialised laboratory testing.

In addition to the specific functions set out above, the Board has a general remit to act as an independent source of scientific advice.

The Food Safety Consultative Council and safefood believe that attitudes can shape behaviour. In 2002 the FSAI and safefood developed a joint research initiative into consumer attitudes to food safety and healthiness. As a means of building upon the 2002 benchmark study, the FSAI and safefood commissioned additional consumer research in 2006. This research was conducted by Amárach Consulting and in line with the benchmark research explored consumer attitudes to food safety and healthiness. Building upon the benchmark research, the 2006 research also explored consumer perceptions of Irish produce, purchasing behaviour of organic food, information sources and labelling.

1 The 2006 research involved a quantitative survey of 831 adults aged 15-74 years. The survey was conducted across the island of Ireland and involved 52 sampling points in the Republic of Ireland and 50 sampling points in Northern Ireland. The research also surveyed the attitudes of young consumers, by conducting 209 face-to-face interviews with 12-14 years. For the purposes of this report, the youth survey demographics are divided into two groups: tweens defined as children aged 12 and teens referring to 13-14 year olds. The youth research mirrored the consumer research by exploring young people's food concerns, sources of information and frequency of eating out.

Building upon the 2002 benchmark, this research also investigated industry’s attitudes to food safety in Ireland. The industry research consisted of 304 face-to-face interviews with a cross section of farmers, food manufacturers and food service/catering workers. Akin to the consumer research, the industry research investigated food industry concerns, awareness and attitudes of food organisations and bodies, quality assurance schemes, the role of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, current food safety measures and food safety information and training. Based on the findings from the consumer, youth and industry research this report identifies key challenges moving forward and proposes key actions for the future.

2 2. Methodology

Research objectives

The aim of the research was to provide the Food safety Consultative Council with an in- depth understanding of consumer attitudes, knowledge and awareness with regard to food safety and food standards. Building upon the benchmark study conducted in 2002 this study provides enhanced insight into consumer attitudes by comparing the 2006 findings with the benchmark research and exploring additional themes that emerged as important in the benchmark study. This report details the findings from the consumer attitudes to food safety study, including children’s perspective on food safety. Moreover, the report includes a detailed analysis of industry attitudes to food safety.

The objectives of carrying out the consumer attitudes to food safety survey were two-fold:

• firstly, to establish data on consumer attitudes to act as a comparison point to the 2002 benchmark research, and; • secondly, to identify areas for future action.

A market research working group was established, comprising of members of the Consultative Council, FSAI and safefood executives. See Appendix 2 for the list of members of the Food Safety Consultative Council Market Research Sub-Group. The scope of the project was defined and a list of questions compiled. Given Amárach Consultant’s previous work with safefood and their insights into food safety and healthiness the project was awarded to Amárach Consulting. Amárach Consulting was commissioned by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland to undertake a comprehensive programme of research amongst consumers and industry on attitudes to food safety in Ireland.

Research methodology

The methodology was agreed to ensure that the findings of the survey would be representative of consumers in general and comparative to the benchmark research. Quantitative research as outlined in Table 1 was carried out.

Three separate pieces of research were conducted as follows:

• A quantitative survey of adult consumers • A quantitative survey of young consumers (aged 12-14) • A quantitative survey of industry

Quantitative Survey of Adult and Young Consumers

The adult consumer quantitative research involved 831 face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire with adults aged 15 or more. Quotas were set based on gender, age, social class and region so that the sample was nationally representative. The survey used in this report was conducted across the Island of Ireland and involved 52 sampling

3 points in the Republic of Ireland and 50 sampling points in Northern Ireland. The adult consumer research was carried out between January-February 2006. safefood conduct this as a tracking study. It is reported bi-annually and is ongoing. Each wave consists of a sample of 500 Republic of Ireland (ROI) and 300 Northern Ireland (NI) respondents approximately.

A quantitative survey, using a structured questionnaire was also used to measure the behaviour, attitudes and opinions of young consumers (children aged 12-14) with regard to various aspects of food safety. All 209 interviews with children were conducted face-to-face, in respondents’ own homes. The sample is nationally representative of the 12-14 year old population in terms of gender, age, social class and area of residence. The children’s consumer research was carried out April 2006.

Quantitative survey of industry

The industry research involved 200 telephone interviews and 100 online surveys using a semi-structured questionnaire with individuals responsible for overseeing food safety standards, regulations and enforcement in the organisation. The make-up of the sample was as follows:

• 100 respondents employed in food production and manufacturing (interviewed via telephone) • 100 respondents employed in food service (interviewed via telephone) • 100 respondents were farmers (completed an online survey).

The sample was nationally representative of food industry in terms of sample mix (food manufacturing, food servicing/catering and farming) and responsibility for food safety enforcement. The industry research was carried out February 2006.

Table 1: Overview of the consumer attitudes to food safety research methodology

FSAI Research 2006

Consumers Young Adults Industry 803 Nat Rep 12-14 Years 300 Nat Rep 209 Nat Rep

4 3. Food Industry Perspective on Food Safety

The industry research involved 200 telephone interviews (food manufacturing and food service/catering) and 100 online surveys (farmers) using a semi-structured questionnaire with individuals responsible for overseeing food safety standards, regulations and enforcement in the organisation. The make-up of the sample was as follows:

The sample was nationally representative of the food industry in terms of sample mix (food manufacturing, food servicing/catering and farming) and responsibility for food safety enforcement. The industry research was carried out in February 2006. Food industry concerns

The first part of the survey asked respondents to indicate their degree of concern regarding a list of prompted industry issues. The top five 2006 industry concerns were as follows:

• Labour costs (68%) • Food safety regulations (68%) • Increasing competition (64%) • Threat of cheap imports (56%) • Safety of food produced by the Irish food industry (52%)

Overall, those based in the farming sector appeared most concerned about each of the prompted issues listed above.

It is noteworthy that the concerns listed in 2006 mirror those highlighted in the 2002 food industry research conducted by Millward Brown IMS, which posited the following concerns: ‘Cost of labour’ 73%, ‘Threat of cheap imports’ 72%, ‘Staff/Labour shortages’ 51%, ‘Increasing competition’ 49%, ‘Workplace theft’ 35% and ‘Safety of food produced by Irish industry’ 28%. The 2002 findings were based on 30 in-depth interviews (mixture of telephone and face-to- face) with managers from a cross-section of industries (producers, processors/manufacturers, importers/wholesalers, caterers and retailers).

Taking a more in-depth review of the aforementioned concerns, the majority of those ranking labour costs as their number one concern were located either in the food service/catering (73%) or farming (70%) sector. Food safety regulations were a leading concern for those employed in farming, with three in four (75%) respondents employed in farming citing this as their main worry. This may be due to concerns about increased financial and time costs that further food safety regulations would impart on those employed in farming, traditionally a sole trader industry.

5 The opening up of the Irish market as a result of globalisation posed a threat to indigenous producers, with increased competition ear marked as a concern for three in four farmers (74%). In line with these results, the threat of cheap imports and gradual substitution of Irish produce with foreign imports was of most concern among the farming sector, with almost nine in ten farming respondents citing this as an issue (89%). Thus far, the concerns listed by respondents have been mainly external, influenced by outside environmental factors such as the labour market and internationalisation, with food safety authorities registering as the only internal change force.

The fifth concern, the ‘safety of food produced by the Irish food industry’ is somewhat unique as it is an internal concern driven by farmers, food manufacturers and food service/caterers. Ultimately, this fifth concern shows an increase in understanding from within the Irish food industry regarding the importance of quality and safe Irish produce.

Other issues ranked as concerns from the prompted list included ‘Theft in the workplace’, which was a concern for 34% of the sample and ‘Labour shortages’ an issue for 30% of those surveyed. Further analysis showed that ‘Theft in the workplace’ was mainly a concern among the food service/catering industry, with almost one in two (45%) highlighting this as an issue, this is relative due to the low skill set requirements and subsequent high turnover in the food service/catering sector. The findings also showed that ‘Labour shortages’ were an everyday concern for both food service/catering (33%) and the farming (32%) sectors.

Figure 1: Food Industry Concerns

Not at all concerned Very concerned

Labour costs 6 7 19 41 27

Food safety regulations 11 5 15 48 20

Increasing competition 7 5 23 43 21

Threat of cheap imports 10 17 16 24 32

Safety of food produced by 21 8 17 38 14 the Irish food industry

Theft in the workplace 16 12 36 28 6

Labour shortages 16 19 34 22 8

Base=304 (All respondents)

Again, the reasoning for this is reflective in the characteristics of the food industry. The Irish farming sector consists mainly of family farms handed down through generations. Labour is fast becoming a concern on the traditional farm homestead, as many young ‘potential farmers’ take advantage of greater job opportunities nowadays and choose different career paths. As discussed already, the food service/catering industry is characterised by high turnover meaning labour and future labour supplies are always an issue.

6 Awareness of and attitudes to various food organisations and bodies

When asked the unprompted question, “Can you tell me the names of any organisations that currently oversee food safety regulation in Ireland?” the following results emerged. Almost one in two respondents (44%) attributed the Food Safety Authority of Ireland as the organisation responsible for overseeing food safety regulation in Ireland. This is a significant increase from the 2002 food industry research conducted by Millward Brown IMS, in which only one in five (21%) individuals believed that the Food Safety Authority of Ireland was responsible for food safety regulation in Ireland. This marked improvement can be attributable to Food Safety Authority of Ireland publications and increased media coverage over the last few years. Almost one in three (31%) believed that the Health Executive/Health Boards were responsible for food regulation and safety in Ireland. Due to its links with the farming sector, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry was perceived by almost one in four (23%) respondents as responsible for Irish food safety and regulations. And finally one in four respondents thought Bord Bia was the body responsible for food safety regulation, again Bord Bia’s connection with the food industry in the form of market development and promotion of Irish food and drink were the main reasons for their mention in the findings.

Figure 2: Spontaneous Awareness of organisations that currently oversee Food Safety Regulation in Ireland

Food Safety Authority of Ireland 44% 21%

Health Executive/Health Boards 31%

Dept of Agriculture, Food and Forestry 23%

Bord Bia 23%

Amárach 17% Millward Brown

Base=304 (All respondents) Quality Assurance schemes

The survey also explored perceptions within the food industry regarding the effectiveness and efficiency of quality assurance schemes. This was done by asking respondents, ‘How important a role, if any do you think Quality Assurance Schemes play in relation to food safety measures currently in place in the Irish industry?’ The findings revealed that almost one in two respondents (47%) felt quality assurance schemes played a very important role. An in-depth analysis into the findings revealed that those in food service/catering sector (53%) and food manufacturers (51%) were more likely than farmers (38%) to believe in the importance of quality assurance schemes to food safety measures.

7 Figure 3: Quality Assurance Schemes

Not at all Important Very Important %%

Total 214 30 60

Farming 2 4 5 24 62

Food Manufacturing 24 27 65

Food Service/Catering 23 39 53

Base=304 (All respondents)

Food safety in Ireland

As part of the industry research respondents were asked to state the degree to which they believed the safety of food produced in Ireland had improved/declined over the past ten years. The findings were positive showing that almost six in ten respondents (57%) believed the safety of food had significantly improved over the past ten years. Taking a more in-depth analysis of the results those in food manufacturing and food catering were more likely than farmers to report that they felt that the safety of food produced in Ireland over the past ten years had significantly improved.

Figure 4: Food Safety in Ireland (All Respondents Base=304)

Food Food Service/Catering Total % Farming % Manufacturing % %

Significantly improved(5) 35 57 65 72

(4) 31 13 33 26 (3) 6 14 5 (2) 1 3 22 Significantly declined(1)

8 As means of providing a deep dive understanding of food safety concerns within the food industry, the survey asked, ‘At what stage of the food production to consumption chain, if any, would you be most worried about food safety risks?’ The findings revealed that the processing stage of the food production chain was the area of most concern in relation to food safety risks (23%) for those working in the food industry. Other key areas of concern included the distribution of produce (13%), primary production (11%) and retail (11%). When probed regarding the rationale for such concerns, the findings were evenly spread across farming, food manufacturers and food service/caterers, in so far as their number one concern was cross contamination/hygiene issues (28%). Other reasons for food chain concerns related to storage facilities not being checked (14%), which was more likely to be an issue among food service/caterers rather than farmers or food manufacturers. Other concerns regarding food safety risks included: the vulnerability of food at production stage (8%), inadequate labelling (4%), chemicals and additives (3%) and quality of imported food (3%).

In an unprompted question, which asked, ‘what food safety related issue, if any, do you feel needs to be addressed by the Irish food industry?’, only 3% of those surveyed believed that the Irish food industry is fine at present. In general, those based in the farming sector were more likely than food manufacturers and food service/caterers to feel that there are food safety issues that need to be addressed. The top five concerns of the food industry and of which they believed more should be done in the future were cross contamination (10%), standardised training (6%), industry strictly regulated (6%), labelling/packaging (5%) and imported goods (5%). Four out of five of the these concerns are internal and relate directly to processes in place within the food industry, the concern, ‘industry strictly regulated’ however is external and relates to guidelines already in place within the food industry. This is a finding that emerged throughout the results with the general consensus among producers/manufacturers that current food safety regulations although required were somewhat of an inhibitor to production.

Figure 5: Food Safety Related Issues

Cross contamination/ Hygiene issues 10% Standardised training/More awareness/ More information 6% Industry strictly regulated 6%

Best before dates/Labelling/Packaging 5% Imported goods – misleading as not 5% stated they’re non-Irish Correct storage/Temperature/Transport 4% Traceability 4% Others 4% Use of chemicals 3% Stricter licensing and controls of smaller outfits 3% More attention to retail sector 3% Ok as it is 3%

Base=304 (All Respondents)

9 Food safety current measures

After gaining insight into the food industry’s food safety concerns the survey examined confidence levels of food safety measures currently in place within the food industry. The results were exceptional with almost nine in ten respondents (89%) feeling confident with the food safety measures in the Irish food industry at present. As shown in Figure 6, the results yielded positive findings with all sectors within the food industry showing confidence in current food safety measures.

Figure 6: Food Safety Measures in the Irish Industry

Food Food Service/Catering Total % Farming % Manufacturing % %

13 Very confident (4) 25 23 38

(3) 64 64 71 58

21 (2) 11 Not at all confident 1 4 6 (1)

Base=304 (All respondents)

Building upon the above findings the survey asked respondents, ‘how confident are you with the food safety measures that are currently in place in your own particular industry?’ Again, the results showed positive internal ratings, with over nine in ten respondents (92%) feeling confident about their industry’s food safety measures. As shown in Figure 7 those employed in food manufacturing were more likely than those in farming or food service/catering to be confident about the food safety measures in their own particular industry.

Figure 7: Food Safety Measures in Respondent’s Own Industry

Food Food Service/Catering Total % Farming % Manufacturing % %

Very confident (4) 31 44 42 57

(3) 37 48 47 37

8 (2) 6 1215 6 Not at all confident (1)

Base=304 (All respondents)

Legislation and regulation of food safety measures

When asked to best describe the level of food safety regulations currently in place in the Irish food industry, almost two in three respondents (64%) felt that it was about right. These were most likely to be food service/caterers (72%) or food manufacturers (69%). One in three respondents (33%) employed in farming believed that there were ‘too little’ food safety regulations, more than likely relating to concerns regarding the processing and end consumption of their produce.

Figure 8: Levels of Food Safety Regulation in the Irish Food Industry

Food Food Total % Farming % Manufacturing % Service/Catering %

Too Much (3) 14 13 14 15

51 64 69 About Right (2) 72

33 21 Too Little (1) 16 14

Base=304 (All respondents)

In terms of the food industries influence on the formation of legislation and regulation a little over one third (35%) of respondents believed their own industry had a role to play. This is a positive finding as members of the food industry begin to understand their importance in food safety regulation and adherence to standards. In a sense the findings show that attitudes are increasingly moving towards food industry members taking more responsibility for their actions and also feel they have a role to play in creating industry standards.

Food safety information and training

The next stage of the survey examined food safety information and training. Members of the food industry were asked, ‘how well informed do you think your industry is in terms of food safety information?’ The findings were positive with three in ten respondents feeling they were ‘well informed’ regarding food safety information, with the majority of these located in the food manufacturing sector. Noteworthy, one in ten respondents (12%) felt ‘not well informed’, a significant figure nowadays given the degree of media coverage and safety regulations. Another important finding revealed that is was more likely to be those employed in farming rather than food manufacturers or food service/caterers that felt uninformed. Deeper analysis examining farm acreage may show linkages between farm sizes, employment status (farming full time versus part time) on food safety information levels.

11 Figure 9: Incidence of those who believe their industry is well informed in terms of Food Safety Information

Food Service/Catering Total % Farming % Food Manufacturing % %

Well informed (3) 29 31 27 38

53 Somewhat informed (2) 56 60 55

19 Not well informed (1) 12 8 9

Base=304 (All respondents)

Increased from 28% in 2002 to 46% in 2006, almost half (46%) of respondents felt that there were barriers to obtaining adequate food safety training. This is something that proved not to be industry specific but was felt across all sectors of the food industry (farming, food manufacturing and food service/catering). As a means of better understanding these barriers the survey asked an unprompted question, ‘what barriers do you think there are to training?’ The five main inhibitors to training were cost (62%), lack of funds (37%), time constraints (23%), availability of training courses (23%) and insufficient staff cover for training (18%). With regards to training resources the majority of respondents either sourced internally (37%) or used training consultants (25%). In specialist areas regulatory bodies such as those listed in Table 1 were used.

Table 1: Sources of Training

Sources of Training % Respondents who Use Resource In-house/Internally 37% Training Consultants 25% Food Safety Authority of Ireland 7% Health and Safety Authority 7% Health Executive/Health Boards 7% Dept of Agriculture, Food and Forestry 5% Local Authorities 3% Trade Associations 3% Bord Bia 2% Dept of Health and Children 1% Other 28%

Consumer concerns: the industry perspective

The final part of the survey gauged the food industry’s perspective regarding consumer concerns about food safety. The findings revealed that 35% of the food industry believe consumers are ‘very concerned’ about the safety of food produced in Ireland. Those who believe consumers are ‘very concerned’ about food safety were likely to be located in food manufacturing (46%) or food service/catering (43%) sectors. The findings reinforce the importance of food safety and quality initiatives with only one in twenty (5%) believing that consumers were ‘not at all concerned’ about food safety. When asked to list specific areas that consumers are concerned about one in ten of the sample (12%) believed traceability was a majority issue. Other perceived consumer concerns about food safety included media coverage (11%), additives/antibiotics contained in food (8%), avian flu (8%) and hygiene standards (8%).

This mirrors but does not replicate consumers own concerns in relation to food safety as is evident in the detailed consumer section.

Figure 10: Food Safety in Ireland: Consumer Concerns

Food Food Service/Catering Total % Farming % Manufacturing % %

17 Very concerned (1) 35 46 43

(2) 47 39 4

25 (3) 13 8 4 Not at all concerned (4) 5554

13 4. Consumer Market’s Perspective on Food Safety

The consumer research involved 831 face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire with adults aged 15 or more. Quotas were set based on gender, age, social class and region so that the sample was nationally representative. As discussed in the methodology section, the survey used in this report was conducted across the Island of Ireland and involved 52 sampling points in the Republic of Ireland and 50 sampling points in Northern Ireland. The adult consumer research was carried out between January-February 2006 and was part of safefood’s bi-annual tracking study. Each wave consists of a sample of 500 Republic of Ireland (ROI) and 300 Northern Ireland (NI) respondents approximately.

Food safety and hygiene in general

The first question in the survey asked all adults aged 15+ to rate on a scale of 1 to 7 how concerned they are about a list of prompted issues. The rationale behind this broad opening question was to allow participants to ease into the interviewing process and alleviate any fears they may have.

Figure 1 provides a comparative overview of the Millward Brown IMS 2002 research and the safetrak 6 (January 2006) findings. The safetrak 6 findings reveal that the top three consumer concerns in January 2006 relate to:

1. Crime 79% 2. Health Services 76% 3. Food Safety 67%

In comparing the safetrak 2006 findings with the 2002 Millward Brown research, ‘Crime’ and ‘Food Safety’ show the most marked increases, up 35% and 14% respectively. Boosted consumer awareness levels regarding food safety may be due to an amalgamation of factors such as; increased media coverage of food safety, exposures of animal mistreatment cases and the marketing of nutritional information, with the results revealing that over two in three (67%) Irish adults are concerned about food safety and a little over one in two (54%) worried about ‘food produced on Irish farms’, a concern that did not arise from the 2002 Millward Brown IMS research.

Similar to the 2002 findings, the safetrak 6 research revealed unwavering consumer concerns regarding the ‘environment’ (up 1% from 64% in 2002 to 65% in 2006) and ‘racism’ (up 4% from 48% in 2002 to 52% in 2006).

Building upon the 2002 Millward Brown IMS research, the safetrak 6 (January 2006) tracker research also investigated adults concern regarding the Irish education system, this proved a worthwhile exploration with over one in two adults (55%) stating education was a genuine concern for them.

Figure 1: Positioning Food Safety as a Concern Base: 831 (All Adults Aged 15+)

% of respondents who reported that they were concerned about the following issues Crime 79% 44%

Health services 76% 77%

Food safety 67% 53%

Environment 65% 64%

Education system 55%

Food produced on Irish Farms 54%

Racism 52% 48%

safetrack 6 Food Safety Consumer Research, Millward Brown IMS 2002 (findings based on a mixture of focus groups and telephone interviews with consumers and farmers).

Food safety in context of other food related issues

As a means of providing a more in-depth understanding of consumer insights into food safety, the safetrak 6 (January 2006) tracker research asked respondents to state their main food related concern. The top unprompted concerns cited by Irish adults are listed below:

• Additives/E-Numbers/Dyes/Pesticides 7% • Listeria/Food Poisoning 6% • Chicken and Poultry 6% • County or Origin 6% • Sell By/Best Before Dates 5%

In comparing the safetrak 6 (January 2006) tracker research with the previous wave, (safetrak 5, June 2005) two noteworthy findings arose, firstly, additives/e-numbering and country of origin are new consumer concerns not previously stated, a finding that may be attributed to increased media activity on those topics. And secondly, consumers appear less concerned about BSE, which netted 4% of consumer concerns in the safetrak 5 (June 2005) tracker. The drop in concern regarding BSE may be as a result of falls in BSE outbreaks during the remit of the study and increased agricultural safety controls, such as the prohibition of meat and bone meal in animal feed and upgraded livestock tracing systems.

The safetrak 6 (January 2006) tracker research assessed consumers’ perceptions and awareness levels of food safety and hygiene standards on the island of Ireland. The results were consistent with consumers feeling that the food sector had undergone positive changes over the past few years. In the survey, consumers were asked to indicate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with a series of statements relating to food safety and hygiene 15 standards. The first statement assessed food safety perceptions and asked consumers to indicate their degree of agreement with the following statement, ’Food safety in Ireland has improved over recent years’. As shown in Figure 2 seven in ten (75%) Irish adults felt that food safety had improved in Ireland over recent years, an increase of 22% (up from 53% to 75%) since the 2002 Millward Brown IMS research

Figure 2: Changes in Food Safety

Strongly Agree 24%

Agree 51%

Neither 11% 5% Disagree 2% Strongly Disagree Source: safetrack 6

Base: =831 (All adults aged 15+)

The findings in relation to consumer awareness levels were also positive with seven in ten (75%) Irish adults agreeing with the statement, ‘My awareness of food safety has improved over recent years’, shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3 : Awareness of Food Safety

Strongly Agree 23%

Agree 52%

Neither 17% 4% Disagree 2% Strongly Disagree Source: safetrack 6

Base=831 (Base: All Adults Aged 15+)

16 Akin to the food safety findings, the research also revealed that seven in ten (75%) Irish adults agreed with the statement, ‘Hygiene standards are rising in Ireland”, shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Rising Hygiene Standards

Strongly Agree 22%

Agree 53%

Neither 14% Disagree 4% 3% Strongly Disagree Source: safetrack 6

Base=831 (All Adults Aged 15+)

Based on the findings it can be inferred that Irish consumers’ perceptions of food safety and hygiene standards have undergone positive change over the past few years, indicative of effective media campaigns. This is especially true in the case of consumer perceptions of Irish hygiene standards, with for instance earlier safetrak studies revealing that food outlet hygiene was a key consumer concern. Table 1 provides an overview of the safetrak 1-3 study findings (ranging from May 2003 to July 2004), in which consumers were asked to state how concerned they were about hygiene across a range of food outlets. In general, as the safetrak studies progressed consumers became marginally less concerned about hygiene in food outlets, this is reflected in Table 1 with consumer concerns in safetrak 3 (July 2004) showing slight drops from the two earlier waves.

Table 1: Outlets Causing Concern

Safetrak1 Safetrak 2 Safetrak 3 May 2003 January 2004 July 2004 Take-aways 61% 63% 59% Restaurants 39% 42% 36%

Local Butchers 35% 45% 40% Cafes 36% 43% 32%

Supermarkets 31% 44% 36% Sandwich bars 36% 38% 32%

Home 28% 37% 25%

(Base: All Adults Aged 15+)

As a means of gaining insight into hygiene concerns and building a knowledge bank for safefood, the tracker asked an unprompted question querying what aspect of hygiene they 17 were concerned about. The safetrak 3 (July 2004) findings revealed that the following were consumers’ main hygiene food outlet concerns:

• Cleanliness of kitchens/Premises/Staff 62% • Handling of both food and money by same member of staff 45% • Cross contamination of raw and cooked meet 41%

Overall, the findings yielded positive results for the Irish food industry, with almost six in ten (59%) adults stating they were confident in the food safety measures currently in place. Apart from advertising consumers were queried on means of improving food safety measure in Ireland. The findings were forthcoming with suggestions such as the following proposed:

• Educate children in home/school (18%) • More information/leaflets in shops (12%) • More spot checks/inspectors (10%) • Enforcement of standards of manufacturers (6%) • More spot checks (restaurants/supermarkets/industry) (5%)

Healthy eating

The ever-changing role of healthy eating and nutrition in the lives of consumers continues to play a pivotal role in the safefood tracker researcher. The safetrak 6 (January 2006) research assessed consumers concerns and attitudes to healthy eating. The results of which help shed light into consumers healthy eating behaviour. In the safetrak 6 tracker research consumers were asked to indicate the extent to which they were concerned about healthy eating. The results reflect current trends in the marketplace with a little over six in ten (65%) Irish adults concerned about healthy eating and only one in ten (12%) unconcerned. Figure 5 shows that Irish consumers are increasingly more concerned about improving or maintaining a healthy diet.

Figure 5: Level of concern regarding healthy eating

Very Concerned 24%

Concerned 41%

Neither 20%

Unconcerned 6% Not Concerned at All 6% safetrack 6

Base =831 (All Adults Aged 15+)

18 The next stage of the survey assessed consumer attitudes to healthy eating. The findings in Figure 6 mirror the present marketplace with almost one in two consumers (47%) stating that they were oftentimes confused by the many different messages about healthy eating. This may be as a result of the mixed array of messages in the current marketplace, which ultimately leads to confused consumers. Regardless of advertising clutter and noise in the marketplace however, the results also reveal that awareness levels about healthy eating remain strong, with six in ten consumers (60%) stating they have become more aware of healthy eating in the past six months. This is a positive result as a levelling off effect has as of yet not occurred, signalling future need for straight to the point, concise healthy eating advertising.

Figure 6: Attitudes to Healthy Eating)

% Agreement

I often get confused by the many different messages about 47% healthy eating

Over the past 6 months I have become more aware of healthy 60% eating issues

Base =831 (All Adults Aged 15+ )

Organic foods

The world organic market has been growing by 20% a year since the early 1990’s, with future growth projections ranging from 10-50% annually, of which Ireland represents a promising market (http://www.organicmonitor.com/700140.htm). The safetrak 6 (January 2006) research explored Irish consumers’ frequency of purchasing organic food, rationale for purchasing organic food and perceptions of organic food safety. Before analysing the results, the report first examines Irish consumers understanding of ‘organic produce’. In an organics study conducted by Amárach in 2006 a nationally representative sample of 520 Irish adults were asked to indicate their extent of agreement to a series of attributes in relation to organic food.

The results in Figure 7 show that overall Irish consumers are well informed about ‘organic produce’, with eight in ten adults (80%) understanding the benefits of organic food to be ‘free from pesticides and chemicals’, while three in ten (32%) felt organic produce was a healthier option. The taste and nutritional appeal of ‘organic produce’ appeared somewhat low with only one in ten (15%) believing that organic produce was ‘full of flavour and nutrition’. A significant finding from the Amárach Organics Study was that almost one in four Irish people (24%) maintain that organic produce is ‘more expensive’ in comparison to non-natural or artificial food produce. The acceptance of ‘organic produce’ into consumers daily choice set emerged from the findings with only 3% of adults believing it was ‘little more than a fad’.

Figure 7: Understanding of Organic Produce

Free from pesticides and chemicals 80%

Healthier for me and 32% my family More expensive 24%

Full of flavour and 15% nutrition Survey Results from Organics Study conducted by Amárach Little more than a 3% November 2006. The sample fad consisted of 520 Irish adults, with interlocking quotas set among gender, age and region to allow a nationally representative sample.

Base=520 (All Adults Aged 15+)

When examining actual purchase behaviour the results revealed some unexpected findings with more than half of Irish consumers having ‘never’ purchased organic food, revealing the difference between consumers prescribed versus actual behaviour. Based on the findings it can be inferred that although consumers understand the nutritional benefit of organic food they have still as of yet not purchased organic produce. The main reasons for the non- purchase of organic produce were as follows:

• Cost 54% • No particular reason 10% • No difference to non-organic foods 9% • Don’t do shopping 9% • Hard to source 8%

In terms of purchasing of organic food the findings in Figure 8 are positive, showing an emerging market with almost two in four (38%) purchasing organic food and one in twenty (6%) always buying organic food. The main drivers of organic food purchases were:

• No preservatives/additives/colourings 28% • Tastes better 21% • Fresher 8% • Produced locally 6% • Safer to eat 5%

In terms of product safety, the findings revealed that in general Irish adults felt organic labelling was an effective means of assuring the safety of a product. As shown in Figure 8 the notion of ‘safety of organic produce’ was consistent across the range of products tested (milk/dairy produce, meat, poultry and chicken and fruit/salad vegetables).

20 Figure 10: Perceptions of Organic Labelling

Milk/Dairy Products 21% 19% 46% 14%

Poultry and chicken 17% 16% 55% 12%

Fruit and Salad Vegetables 16% 25% 53% 5%

Ineffective Neither Effective Don't know

Source: safetrack 4 and 6

Base=831 (All Adults Aged 15+)

Irish produce The safetrak 6 (January 2006) research also explored consumers purchasing preferences, specifically focusing on willingness to buy Irish produce. Based on the findings it seems that Irish shoppers support the idea of buying Irish produce, with seven in ten (73% and 70% respectively) stating they prefer to buy ‘meat that has been produced in Ireland’ and ‘fruit and vegetables grown in Ireland’. It seems that Irish shoppers are supportive of buying Irish, however when it comes to price, they are likely to choose a cheaper imported food alternative.

Figure 11: Irish Produce

% who agreed with the following

I prefer to buy meat that has been produced in 73% Ireland I prefer to buy fruit and vegetables grown in 70% Ireland

I am prepared to pay more for Irish produced 53% food rather than food produced in another country Source: safetrack 6

Base=831 (All Adults Aged 15+) Food labelling

The final section of this report explores the frequency to which consumers read food labels and their general understanding of food label messages, results of which were gathered in the safetrak 3 (July 2004) tracker research. In the July 2004 tracker consumers were asked, ‘thinking about the information provided on the food you purchase, how frequently do you refer to the labelling information?’ Akin to some of the earlier findings the results showed differences between consumers prescribed versus actual behaviour, with a mere 8% of adults aged 15+ checking food labels ‘all the time’. Almost one in five (17%) Irish adults stated that they refer to food labels ‘a lot of the time’, while four in ten (40%) refer to this information ‘from time to time’. 21

These findings slightly contrast the earlier consumer research that positioned food safety and healthy eating as key consumer concerns. It can be inferred from the findings that although food safety and healthy eating are important, Irish consumers are still not actively seeking information relating to ingredient lists, serving sizes or nutrition, mirrored by three in ten (29%) stating they ‘rarely’ refer to food label information. Information dissemination levels were promising however with almost one in two (43%) Irish adults stating that it was ‘not difficult’ to understand information provided on food labels. Noteworthy, for future food safety and nutritional messages however was the fact that almost one in five (16%) believed it was ‘very difficult’ to decipher food label information.

Figure 12 Frequency of reading Food Labels

All the time 8%

A lot of the time 17%

From time to time 40%

Rarely 29%

Safetrak 3 Base=828 (All Adults Aged 15+)

The main information sought by Irish consumers when reading food labels related to food safety with factors such as ‘best before/use by date’ (70%), ‘cooking instructions’ (50%) and ‘storage instructions’ (39%) coming to the fore. Nutritional information in the form of ‘fat/low fat’ content (43%) was also important. Irish consumers however appeared quite concerned about ‘price’, with almost six in ten (56%) stating this was information they sought. Based on the findings it can be inferred that price may act as a key decision maker when purchasing with other food safety and health factors taking a lesser role. Figure 13 also shows that only three in ten (34%) were concerned about ‘country of origin’, an interesting statistic given the amount of media attention allotted to ‘buying Irish’ produce.

Figure 13: Reading Information Labels

Best Before/Use by Date 70%

Price 56%

Cooking Instructions 50%

Fat / Low Fat 43%

Storage Instructions 39%

Country of Origin 34%

Quality of Main Ingredients 28%

Safetrak 3

Base=828 (All Adults Aged 15+) 22

5. Youth Market’s Perspective on Food Safety

The youth market survey consisted of a nationally representative sample of 209 12-14 year olds. Each respondent was interviewed in their home by a trained Amárach field researcher, with each interview lasting approximately 12 minutes. The following are a list of the main areas explored during the youth survey:

• Food Safety Concerns • Specific Food Concerns • Behavioural Impact of Food Concerns • Sources of Information • Food Safety Attitudes of Food Outlets

General concerns

The initial part of the study asked participants to state their degree of concern regarding key elements in today’s fast moving society. As shown in Figure 1 the top five issues of most concern among children aged 12-14 were as follows: “1. Drugs 30%, 2. Crime 27%, 3. Racism 20%, 4. The safety of food I eat 19%, 4. Environment 19% and 5. The healthiness of the food I eat 16%”. The main differentiator among the issues of most concern (drugs and crime) is they are macro, societal concerns. Whereas the safety of food and the healthiness of food eaten are issues that the youth markets potentially have more control over and yet the findings demonstrate they are less concerned about these.

Figure 1: Youth Concerns 2006

Not at all Very concerned concerned % %

Drugs 9 9 19 32 30

Crime 9 8 19 35 27

Racism 14 8 23 31 20

The safety of the 10 13 25 32 19 food I eat

Environment 11 13 26 28 19

The healthiness of 10 16 26 31 16 the food I eat

Base=209 (All respondents)

The demographics of those least concerned about food safety and healthiness of food were likely to be boys and biased towards tweens (that is those aged 12).

In comparison to the 2002 youth survey conducted my Millward Brown IMS, the 2006 findings showed a slight increase in food safety concerns (increase from 14% in 2002 to 19% in 2006). It can be inferred from the findings that growing food safety and healthiness awareness among the youth market is attributable to informative advertising undertaken by bodies such as safefood and Bord Bia, exposés regarding fast food giants, documentaries such as Jamie’s School Dinners (2005) and films like Fast Food Nation (2006).

Specific food concerns

When the youth market were questioned about their most pressing food concerns, the findings were in line with the ever growing weight conscious society, with the primary concern being the fat content of food (11%). Other leading concerns of young people included the taste of food (9%), the amount of additives and E-Numbers in food (9%), the nutritional value of food (8%) and the freshness of food (8%).

Figure 2: Food Issues of Concern

Too much fat/fat content 11%

Tastes good 9%

Additives/Es/Colourings/ 9% Chemicals/Pesticides Healthiness of 8% Food/Nutritional Value

Freshness 8%

Base=209 (All Respondents)

The findings showed that girls were significantly more likely than boys to be worried about fat content, whereas boys were more likely than girls to be concerned about the taste of food. In relation to the healthiness of food, boys were more concerned than girls; this may be linked to boys playing sports and the connection in sport of health and fitness.

When prompted with a list of food issues and asked to state their degree of concern the results shown in Figure 3 emerged. The safety of food consumed is the number one concern among young people with one in two (50%) highlighting this as an issue. Other key areas of concern related to the fat content of food and the calorie content of food, with two in five young people concerned about each of these (43% and 40% respectively). While the vitamins in food, the cholesterol in food and the amount of fibre in food is a concern for a little over three in ten young people (34%, 31% and 29% respectively).

Figure 3 : Concerns about Food Issues

The safety of the food 12 11 26 33 17

The fat content in the 18 12 25 23 20 food

The calories in the food 20 14 24 26 14

The vitamins in the food 19 20 26 24 10

The cholesterol in the 23 14 28 21 10 food

The amount of fibre 21 17 30 23 6

Base=209 (All Respondents)

The survey delved deeper into the youth markets food concerns by asking them in an unprompted question to state the food aspect they were most concerned with. The findings showed that today’s competitive food environment and high food quality standards have an influential role on the youth markets food concerns, with 14% of young people stating they were most concerned with the freshness of food.

Food safety and health awareness also swayed young peoples food concerns, with

• 12% of individuals concerned about the additives and colourings in food, • 11% taking issue with the general cleanliness/hygiene of staff around food, • 10% worried about food poisoning and • 7% concerned about people not washing their hands/wearing gloves while preparing food.

Behavioural impact of food concerns

Once the survey had established young peoples food concerns the next phase of the research explored the behavioural impact such concerns played on the youth market.

When asked “Are there any foods you have stopped eating lately?”, almost four in ten (37%) young people said ‘yes’. In line with the previous findings, it was girls (59%) and slightly older teens (14 year olds, 36%) that were most likely to have changed their behaviour. Of the 37% who agreed that they had changed their eating behaviour (77 young people out of the sample of 209) the survey asked them to list the foods they had stopped eating, the results of which are shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5: Behavioural Changes

Chocolate 24%

Crisps 22%

Fast food/ 21% Takeaways

Sweets 20%

Poultry 16%

Red meat 10%

Fish 9%

Other 16%

Base=77 (Have stopped eating some foods lately)

The findings were somewhat to be expected, with young people claiming to have stopped eating high fat/sugar content foods, such as chocolate 24%, crisps 22%, fast food/takeaways 21% and sweets 20%. Noteworthy, however, was the fact that young people also claimed to have changed their eating behaviour by no longer eating poultry 16%, red meat 10% or fish 9%.

There may be several reasons for such eating behaviour changes. First of all, and perhaps the most influential is the fact that during the early teen years young people often confirm their independence by making their own food choices and it is during this stage of adolescence that they may decide to become vegetarian or vegans.

Another, and perhaps more influencing reason is during February-March 2006 media coverage of the Avian Flu pandemic increased, which may ultimately have had an impact of young peoples’ food choices.

As highlighted in Figure 5, 16% of those who claimed to have changed their behaviour had stopped eating ‘other’ foods. Taking a more in-depth look at the results, ‘other’ included food types such as ice-cream, potatoes, carrot spears, nutella, fizzy drinks, Chinese food, sugary chewing gum, cakes, ham, biscuits and pasta.

Overall, the results showed that in the majority of cases there was a higher ratio of girls to boys who had stopped eating certain food stuffs. When asked the motivations for their changed eating behaviour the results showed that the main reasons for eliminating food from their diet pointed to dietary reasons (fat content, 35%, sugar content, 21%) and changes in taste and general fickleness (21%) rather than food safety concerns.

Sources of information

At this stage the report provides has provided insight into the youth market’s food concerns and consequent impact on eating behaviour. This section of the report explores young people’s first port of call when searching for information about food safety. The survey asked individuals “If you were looking for information about food safety, where would you look for this information?”

As shown in Figure 6 the results revealed that for one in two young people (49%) parents remained their first port of call for food safety information.

Secondary sources of information included school (38%) and the Internet (22%). Media remains an important access point to young people with almost one in five (17%) gaining information from television commercials and programs, while 13% found newspapers/magazines informative. Tertiary sources of information included food labels (11%), leaflets (9%), doctors/nurses (7%), supermarkets (7%) and books (6%).

Figure 6: Sources of Information

Parents 49%

School 38%

Internet 22%

Television 17% Newspapers/ 13% Magazines Food labels 11%

Leaflets 9%

Doctors/Nurses 7%

Supermarkets 7%

Books 6%

As the Internet is a popular communicative tool among the y-generation, especially with social networking websites such as Bebo and Facebook taking off, we felt a more in-depth analysis of those using the Internet as a means of sourcing food safety information would be insightful for future communication strategies. The findings revealed that girls (26%), tweens that is children aged 12 (26%) and youth located in the Dublin region (27%) were most likely to use the Internet as a food safety information resource.

Food safety attitudes about food outlets

This section of the report explores eating out patterns among the youth market. The frequency of eating out was investigated across a range of eateries, including: cafés, fast food take-aways/restaurants, restaurants and convenience stores. Indicative of today’s cash rich, time poor society was the fact that almost two in five children (38%) buy food in a convenience store a few times a week.

Strengthening this and concurrently showing the emphasis nowadays on fast, easily available, convenient food, was the finding that three in ten children (32%) visit fast food takeaways once a week. Two in five young people (43%) visited restaurants less often than once a month, indicating it may be related to family occasions.

Cafés also appeared less popular among the 12-14 age cohorts, with a little over three in ten children (35%) frequenting cafés less often than once a month. This is line with the demographics of the group under investigation as at this early teen stage cafés would not yet be part of their social behaviour, though this is likely to change as they progress through secondary school.

Table 1: Eating Out Patterns

Cafés Fast food Take- Restaurants Convenience Aways Stores

Every day 1% 1% 0% 12%

A few times a 6% 12% 2% 38% week Once a week 18% 32% 5% 21%

Once a fortnight 11% 18% 11% 8%

Once a month 14% 21% 22% 6%

Less often than 35% 14% 43% 10% once a month Never 15% 3% 17% 5%

Base=209 (All respondents)

Building upon the above findings the survey asked young people to state their perceived degree of safety in terms of the food they eat in each of eateries mentioned in Table 1 (cafés, fast food restaurants/take aways, restaurants and convenience stores). The findings revealed that restaurants were perceived as ‘very safe’ amongst almost three in ten (29%) young people, with convenience stores following closely with a little over one in five (23%) believing they were ‘very safe’. Cafés were perceived as ‘very safe’ among 19% of young people, while fast food take-aways/restaurants were felt to be ‘very safe’ amongst only one in ten (11%) of the youth market, an interesting finding given the popularity and frequency of visits to fast food take-aways/restaurants. These findings strike the question, what is more important to young consumers nowadays, confidence in or convenience of food?

Steps towards improving food safety in Ireland

As a means of gaining insight into the youth market’s mindset the final stage of the survey asked respondents, “Can you think of anything that can be done to improve food safety in Ireland?” The most common suggestions for improving food safety included increasing awareness and education 34%, less additives 23% and better hygiene standards 23% Other recommendations centered on more organic food 16%, spot checks 15% and more labelling on food 14% 28 6. Conclusions and Recommendations

Through the use of effective advertising campaigns and regular communication, considerable inroads have been made in changing consumer perceptions and behaviour. The challenge in the future is to stave off message wear-out and keep consumers engaged in positive behavioural change going forward.

From the youth survey it can be concluded that Ireland's youth market is both informed and engaged in actively seeking information, most especially ‘how to’ instructions incorporating the messages they are getting from a variety of trusted channels in their everyday lives. The challenge with the youth market is to find a communication channel, that is both acceptable and believable, through which to continue this very positive start.

Within industry there has been a significant increase in awareness levels of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland since the 2002 research. It is important to note, however, that moving into the future, certain parts of industry require both help and advice, and indeed visible action by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. The challenge, therefore, is to engage each group and further advance the positioning of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland as a trusted advisor, and a source of quality assurance and training.

safefood 7 Eastgate Avenue, Eastgate, Little Island, Co. Cork. 7 Ascaill an Gheata Thoir, An tOileán Beag, Co. Chorcaí. 7 Aistyett Avenue, Aistyett, Wee Isle, Co. Cork. Tel: +353 (0)21 230 4100 Fax: +353 (0)21 230 4111 Email: [email protected] Web: www.safefood.eu