Every second German fears Mogelpackung in food
Rotten meat, molded ham, analog cheese: the recent food scandals and the discussion about additives or genetically modified foods have left German consumers unsettled. This is shown by the results of the current population-representative study "SGS INSTITUT FRESENIUS Consumer Study 2010: Food Quality & Consumer Confidence", which the renowned Allensbach Institute carried out on behalf of SGS INSTITUT FRESENIUS GmbH.
Fear of deceptive packaging and genetically modified food the greatest
The biggest concern of German consumers when buying groceries is that what is in the package is not what it says on the outside. So that, for example, there are no more strawberries in the strawberry jam. 55 percent of those surveyed are afraid of such deceptive packages. Concern about foods with genetically modified ingredients is just as great. This fundamental insecurity is also expressed in the fact that more than half of those surveyed believe that food is not as healthy as the manufacturers claim. 48 percent of consumers fear that important information about the contents is only hidden or not given at all on the packaging. And that additives used, such as flavor enhancers or colorings, are harmful to health.
Every second German does not understand the information on food packaging
A main reason for the clear uncertainty of German consumers is the difficulty in fully understanding the information on the packaging: 49 percent of those surveyed find the information on the food less or not at all understandable.
Older people in particular (45-- 59 years: 52 percent and 60+ years: 58 percent) and people with a simple school education (60 percent) have above-average problems with understanding.
Three quarters of Germans cannot recognize what is healthy
75 percent of all Germans cannot judge whether a food is healthy based on the information on the packaging. For example, 67 percent of those surveyed have problems finding out from the food information whether the product is also suitable for allergy sufferers or diabetics. 58 percent cannot judge whether and which additives are included, 42 percent do not know how much fat or sugar the products have.
It is particularly problematic that 71 percent of consumers do not have the confidence to choose the right food for children because it is difficult for them to tell from the food descriptions whether a product is suitable for children.
In general, every fourth consumer finds it more difficult to eat healthily than before. “On the one hand, consumers enjoy the large selection of food that is available to them today. On the other hand, they also long for orientation and information," explains Dr. Ulrich Ellinghaus, head of the "Quality Seal & Test Mark" department at SGS INSTITUT FRESENIUS GmbH.
“The study shows that food manufacturers are not yet sufficiently meeting this need for transparency and safety. Meaningful and credible guidance is rewarded by consumers.”
Trust for seal of approval and family - great distrust for industry and politics
Another important reason for the fear of deceptive packaging lies in the consumers' fundamental distrust of the statements made by industry and politics. When asked who consumers trust for reliable and credible food information, they both gave consistently low marks:
- 5 percent trust politicians such as consumer protection or health politicians
- 8 percent rely on advertising brochures from the supermarkets
- 9 percent believe the food manufacturers
- The opposite picture emerges for independent testing institutions, consumer advice centers or the personal environment:
- 73 percent trust the ratings from Stiftung Warentest
- 67 percent believe the statements of consumer centers
- 55 percent listen to opinions from family and friends
- 32 percent trust independent seals of approval such as the Institut Fresenius seal of quality
Increased controls could help industry and politics to build more trust among consumers: 38 percent of those surveyed are of the opinion that food controls in Germany are not sufficient.
Purchasing criteria of the Germans: prefer regional instead of organic
With regard to the criteria that consumers use to select food, the study shows that the demands are high. Food should be as fresh as possible (86 percent) and of high quality (60 percent), but at the same time cheap (57 percent). In addition, the study now proves another important purchase criterion: regionality. 47 percent pay attention to products from the region when shopping. At 23 percent, organic or ecological products have significantly less priority. The health aspect is nevertheless important: 43 percent of consumers want GMO-free food, 40 percent look for foods that contain little fat.
“Consumers rightly place the highest demands on the food industry. In order for them to place their trust in a product, it often has to meet criteria that are difficult to reconcile: it should be fresh, of good quality and as cheap as possible. The results of the study show that manufacturers are called upon to make the quality of their products even more visible to consumers. So that the impression of a deceptive package does not arise in the first place,” explains Dr. Ulrich Ellinghaus.
Women shop more critically and health-consciously than men
Men and women shop differently. This also applies in the supermarket. The results of the study show that women are more critical when it comes to food: at 63 percent, quality plays a more important role than price (54 percent). The opposite is true for men: 60 percent state that they pay attention to a particularly low price, followed by quality at 57 percent.
The greatest differences between the sexes are in the area of health.
Women and men responded to the question of what to pay special attention to when shopping as follows:
| Women | Men | |
| to verified or tested products | 52% | 40% |
| to genetically unmodified food | 49% | 38% |
| on low-fat foods | 48% | 31% |
| with as few additives as possible | 47% | 30% |
| on a little sugar | 44% | 27% |
| on nutritional information, or calorie information | 35% | 23% |
Different shopping behavior between East and West
20 years after German reunification, there are still differences in shopping behavior between the old and new federal states. In the east, food from your own region is more attractive than average. When buying groceries, 59 percent of East Germans make sure that the products come from the immediate vicinity. On the other hand, regionality only plays a role for 44 percent of West Germans.
Consumers in the new federal states are also more price-conscious than their neighbors from the west: 68 percent state that price is their primary concern, compared to 54 percent in the west.
Information on the examination method
In May 2010, the Allensbach Institute for Demoscopy carried out a multi-topic survey representative of the population on behalf of the SGS INSTITUT FRESENIUS GmbH.
A total of 1.827 people aged 16 and over were interviewed. The interviews were conducted orally and personally (face-to-face) using a standardized questionnaire by trained interviewers from the Allensbach Institute for Demoscopy.
Source: Taunusstein [ SGS INSTITUT FRESENIUS ]
