Food Scares: Afraid to Indulge!

By Jens Lönneker

Do food scares alter consumer behavior?

Spoiled meat, imitation cheese or composite ham: Food industry scares seem to represent a very recent phenomenon. But do food scares really impact consumer behavior or are they simply hyped by the media?
Current studies conducted for the BVE * and HDE** show that food scares leave their “mark” on consumers and trigger changes in buying habits oft the majority of shoppers. Sixty-one percent of respondents stated that they had changed their shopping behavior as a result of food scares, and eighty-two percent expect the number of scares to increase.
However, the spectrum of observed consumer behavior is very broad. Not all consumers have altered their shopping routine. Attitudes range from “business as usual” to temporary or even permanent changes in their food purchases.

But how do consumers really tick?
Our qualitative research shows that consumers reveal a strong propensity to support regulations and “standards” they perceive as being designed to reduce the likelihood of food scares occurring. Organizations such as Greenpeace, Food Watch, BUND and even Stiftung Warentest and Ökotest enjoy a high degree of trust since consumers see them as acting in a supervisory role.
Consumers are reluctant to rely on self-regulation by manufacturers and retail due to their low level of general trust in the food industry. In addition, consumers usually show a positive attitude towards media reports which expose “food safety and hygiene issues” - even though many respondents feel that the media tend to exaggerate.
Leading opinions in this context are shaped by ascetic, anti-indulgent positions towards food (reduced meat consumption, critical attitudes regarding fat, sugar content, etc.).
The psychological background to this trend lies in the perception that societal norms have altered in recent years, and now tend to favor indulgence, irresponsibility and debauchery. A little restraint and asceticism now seem virtuous and exemplary to many, even if they don’t actually practice these virtues themselves.
Paradoxically, this trend towards more virtuous eating behavior requires scares to confirm one’s own relevance. Consumers reveal a fundamental disposition towards assuming that scares exist and the need to “expose” them.

What can be done?
The tendency to pay attention to food scares is more likely to increase. As will the tendency of organizations and media to find and expose scares. This accompanies the risk that the pressure to establish more food regulations and imposed standards will increase.
The main step to be taken is to build trust. The food manufacturing and retailing industries need to communicate activities designed to improve food quality and credibility more strongly and aggressively than before. Research conducted by rheingold suggests that honesty and an open dialogue with consumers and NGOs may well create the basis from which the industry can boost credibility.