Survey shows concern about salt, fat and sugar
Wednesday 16 March 2005
Ref: R1069 - 33
The fifth annual Consumer Attitudes Survey, published today by the Food Standards Agency, reveals increasing concern about diet and health across the UK. The amount of salt in food is the top concern for consumers, with concern about levels of fat and sugar also in the top five.
More people are also looking for information about levels of salt, fat and sugar on food labels than ever before. Over the past five years, of those people who look at food labels, the number of people who claimed to look for nutritional information has risen from just over half of consumers in 2000, to three quarters in 20041.
The level of concern about BSE has fallen by almost a quarter since 20002.
Other five year trends include:
- the number of people claiming to have eaten five portions of fruit and vegetables the previous day has risen from just over a quarter in 2000 to half of all consumers in 20043
- knowledge of the '5 a day' message of eating fruit and vegetables has increased from 43% in 2000, to 58% in 2004
- levels of concern about the safety of raw beef have fallen dramatically, from over half of all consumers in 2000, to just over a third in 2004 4
- concern about the accuracy of food labelling has risen from 35% in 2000 to 44% in 2004
Gill Fine, Director of Consumer Choice and Dietary Health at the Food Standards Agency said:
'Over the last five years the trend among consumers has been towards healthier eating and an increase in demand for reliable and practical information on all aspects of nutrition, food and health. People are more worried about levels of salt, fat and sugar in food and the accuracy of food labels, and less concerned about issues like BSE.
'To meet the growing demand for information about nutrition and healthy eating, the Food Standards Agency has launched a new website, www.food.gov.uk/eatwell, dedicated to providing reliable and practical advice on all aspects of food, diet and health, as well as helpful tips on topics such as understanding food labels.'
Notes to Editors:
The Consumer Attitudes Survey is conducted annually by the Food Standards Agency to provide a better understanding of attitudes, knowledge, behaviour and awareness among the public with regards to food standards and safety.
The first study, in 2000 (published January 2001) enabled benchmarks to be set, and each additional study allows the Agency to track changes in behaviour and attitudes, and measure trends.
See the link at the bottom of this page to read the UK Consumer Attitudes Survey 2004.
MORI conducted 3,229 interviews among a representative sample of the UK population. Interviews were conducted face to face in people's homes between 9 September and 15 October 2004.
The Agency's website www.food.gov.uk/eatwell is a consumer advice and information site covering nutrition, food, hygiene and food labelling issues. The Agency's main web-based source of food news and in-depth reports, guidance and scientific research continues to be www.food.gov.uk and www.salt.gov.uk is the Agency's dedicated site on salt.
1Of those people who look at food labels, the number of people who claimed to look for nutritional information has risen from 55% in 2000, to 75% in 2004
2Concern about BSE has fallen from 66% in 2000, to 44% in 2004
3Consumption of five fruit and vegetables has risen from 26% in 2000 to 51% in 2004
4Concern about raw beef has fallen from 53% in 2000 to 36% in 2004.
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