Consumers doubt food sector’s sustainability as healthy eating declines, flags EIT Food

15 May 2024 --- Fewer European consumers make healthy and sustainable food choices than before, according to the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Food Consumer Observatory’s Food Trust Report. Consumer trust in the overall food sector is “declining” too, regarding its competency, openness and care of actors, such as farmers, manufacturers, authorities, restaurants and retailers.

Only a third (36%) of the 19,642 consumers surveyed believe that the food they eat is sustainable, while less than half (44%) think it is healthy. Meanwhile, over half are confident regarding food safety.

“A decline in consumers’ trust in the food sector could be attributed to various factors, including food safety scandals, misleading labeling and concerns over environmental sustainability,” Sofia Kuhn, director of Public Engagement at EIT Food, tells Food Ingredients First.

“However, one of the leading factors is most likely a lack of transparency in supply chains and limited access to information. The Trust Report clearly demonstrates that being open and genuinely caring about public interest is where the greatest opportunities lie for all food system actors to increase consumer trust.”

Food choices 
Over recent years, consumer intention to eat healthily and sustainably has been declining. In its sixth year, the latest EIT Food Trust Report finds that 56% of consumers report they try to eat healthily, compared to 60% in 2020 and 2021. 

“In 2020, nearly eight in ten consumers (78%) reported that they intended to live a sustainable lifestyle, but that has since dropped steadily to 71%,” flags Kuhn.

Sofia Kuhn, Director of Public Engagement at EIT Food (Image credit: EIT Food).“Whether this is due to external factors influencing their motivation or a lack of understanding of how to truly live a sustainable lifestyle, less than half of consumers (49%) reported that they take the environmental impact of their diet into account when choosing what to eat in 2023.”

In 2020, 78% of consumers aimed for sustainable diets, but in 2023, this number dropped to 71%. 

“This shows that the evolution of the role of sustainability in consumers’ diets is unpredictable and it is more important than ever to regularly engage with consumers in order to understand (and act on) the trends and the wider food industry,” she remarks. 

Role of authorities
The report highlights limited trust in government agencies at the national and EU levels. Less than half of consumers have confidence in these authorities in the food sector, and around a third “actively mistrust” them. 

A little over a third of consumers believe that authorities care about and listen to what people think about food and are sufficiently open about regulating food production. 

Kuhn sees this as an opportunity for government agencies to “better engage with consumers for them to be seen as competent and open,” which in turn will increase their support for manufacturers and retailers as they enforce regulations and policies.    

“Government agencies can support manufacturers and retailers in regaining consumer trust through fairer regulations, the enforcement of food safety standards and the promotion of healthy and sustainable foods.”

Food system actors 
Consumers express the greatest trust in farmers. However, fewer consumers believe that farmers are “doing a good job”— from 69% in 2022 to 67% in 2023, but still represent the highest score of any food sector group.

Meanwhile, over half of consumers note that foodservice actors perform well but believe restaurants and caterers must be "more open" in preparing and selling food. 

Two thirds of consumers believe farmers are doing a good job, making them the most trusted in the food sector.Four in ten consumers believe that food manufacturers care about people’s concerns and 27% “actively mistrust” them, while 37% trust them to be “open and honest” about their food preparations and sales. 

Rebuilding trust with innovation
Consumer skepticism and distrust also apply to food innovation, with 34% of respondents being open to new food products. According to the report, these figures are higher for 18–34 year-olds than people over 55 — 44% compared to 24%. 

“Food innovations hold the potential to rebuild consumer trust by addressing key concerns such as safety, sustainability, and transparency,” underscores Kuhn.

However, the report shows that consumers generally hesitate to accept food innovations that feel ‘too industrial,’ ‘unnatural,’ or ‘forced.’ 

“This highlights the need to bring consumers on the innovation journey—from idea concept to market launch. Whether it be a label or packaging solution or the ingredient formulation of a novel food, this would allow consumers to co-create solutions and help them better understand the role of the product or service and how it can positively impact their lives and diets,” she explains.

Kuhn also points to “sustainable food production” as an essential tool for future food security.

“With the rise of promising solutions such as protein diversification, regenerative farming, and digital technologies, it is imperative that we regularly engage and consult consumers.”

“Consumers are the driving force behind food trends and without understanding their motivations, preferences and barriers, the future of sustainable food will always be uncertain.”

“We must understand and work with consumers to foster trust and engagement in embracing food innovations and making conscious choices about what to eat,” she concludes.

By Jolanda van Hal and Insha Naureen