Consumers worldwide want to know more about what goes into their food but have misconceptions about how it is produced and are confused by label claims such as organic and no added hormones, according to a survey sponsored by Elanco’s Enough Movement and conducted by market research company Kynetec.
Elanco is the animal health division of Eli Lilly and Co. The Enough Movement is focused on global food security
The Truth About Food Survey included 3,337 urban consumers in 11 countries – United States, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Peru. Among the results:
- Eighty-two percent of consumers said they buy organic products mainly because they believe the foods to be pesticide-free. In reality, organic farmers may use some chemical substances on their crops manufactured from natural sources.
- Two-thirds said they buy organic because they believe the products are more nutritious. However, a Stanford University study concluded there was no health or nutrition difference between conventional and organically produced food.
- More than 60 percent of consumers thought no added hormones meant there were no hormones at all in products with that label.
- Two-thirds reported buying all natural or organic because they thought the foods were healthier or safer.
- Three-quarters of consumers surveyed believe pork and poultry production incorporates added hormones.
- About one-third of consumers thought products labeled “antibiotic-free” meant non-labeled products contained antibiotics.
- More than half of survey respondents believe the majority of farms are run by corporations. In the United States, 97 percent of farms are family owned. The percentage of family-owned farms globally is 90 percent.
