Majority of Americans do not trust food industry, survey finds

Nearly six out of 10 Americans have little knowledge about how their food is producd.

Nearly six out of 10 Americans have little knowledge about how their food is produced and only 17% of consumers feel food companies and manufacturers are trustworthy sources of information about food production practices, according to a new white paper by Sullivan Higdon & Sink (SHS) FoodThink.

The white paper, titled "Building Trust in What We Eat," was based on a survey that polled 1,500 Americans about food production. According to SHS Foodthink, the white paper was designed to help food marketers better understand the consumer's lack of knowledge and trust in food production, and how that impacts food company perceptions.

"Now is the time for manufacturers and producers to actively educate consumers and shift the dialogue from non-understanding and critique to one of building consumer confidence in the food they eat," said Erika Chance, FoodThink researcher. "It's critical for the food industry to move the knowledge needle from where it is now. It's unacceptable for only 17% of consumers to think food companies and manufacturers are trustworthy sources of food production information," said Chance.

Visit shsfoodthink.com to download the white paper.