"Trust marks" important to consumers

by Sarah J. Gim (Subscribe to Sarah J. Gim's posts)
Posted May 27th 2006 8:29PM
Filed under: Organic, Stores & Shopping, America, Health & Medical

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food symbols According to a survey of consumer shopping habits done by ConAgra Foods, consumers increasingly turn to trusted seals, standards and symbols of higher quality on the foods they purchase. According to the study, more than 90% of Americans takes these marks into consideration when shopping.

The results of the study are an indication of the trend of Americans' looking for foods that are healthy and nutritious. However, the reliance on symbols means they need help in identifying what's good for them. The top eight "marks" that consumers look for are: "whole grains," "heart-healthy," "0 trans-fat," "low sodium," "natural," "dietary guidelines," "organic," and "kosher."

While the results are encouraging -- the fact that consumers care about the health and nutrition value of the foods they purchase, does the statement that they "need help" in figuring out what's good for them seem slightly disturbing to anyone else besides me?

Tags: food, food anf drink

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5-28-2006 @ 8:46AM

Hawk said...

In the world of packaged, processed food.... what's good for you? How is there any common sense around what you should eat?

Could Ritz crackers be good for you? How about a Healthy Choice frozen dinner? How would you know? Should you assume that everything that isn't freshly prepared be bad for you?

Well, if the packaging says that it's made out of only natural ingredients, contains low sodium, no trans fats, etc... you have some indications that it's not bad for you in those particular ways.

5-28-2006 @ 12:27PM

Spoonman said...

Not really disturbing, or even a little bit surprising. I think most people, if given the choice, would choose healthier alternatives. The question, then, is which alternative? With all of the competing fads and conflicting misinformation around how does one make the right choice? Is a low-carb, high-fat diet better than a vegetarian diet? Should you be concerned mostly with calories or content? What is the status of the egg, is it good for you or bad for you this week?

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