FDA Releases Consumer Survey Info

Key Findings

Food Safety

• Consumers think people are more likely to get a foodborne illness from food prepared at a restaurant than food prepared at home — Few respondents (15%) thought it was “very common” for people to get food poisoning because of the way food is prepared at home, compared to 29% who thought it was “very common” to get food poisoning because of the way food is prepared in restaurants.
• Consumers are more concerned about raw chicken and raw beef than raw vegetables or fruit being contaminated — More respondents thought that raw chicken (93%) and raw beef (66%) were “likely or highly likely” to have germs than raw vegetables (9%) or fruit (6%).
• Consumer awareness of germs varies greatly depending on the type of germ — Awareness is high for Salmonella (97%) and E. coli (88%) but comparatively low for Campylobacter (7%) and Vibrio (4%).
• Hand washing practices vary depending on the occasion — Consumers are more likely to wash hands with soap after touching raw meat (76%) than before preparing food (68%) or after cracking raw eggs (39%).
• The majority of consumers own a food thermometer, but usage varies depending on what is being cooked — 62% of respondents reported owning a food thermometer. Usage among those who own food thermometers and cook the food ranges from 85% for whole chickens and 79% for beef, lamb or pork roasts, to 40% for chicken parts, 36% for burgers, 23% for egg dishes and 20% for frozen meals.

Nutrition

• Most consumers are familiar with the Nutrition Facts label — 87% of respondents have looked at the NFL on food packages. The top four items that consumers look for on the label are calories, total sugar, sodium, and serving size. Consumers report using the label most frequently for seeing “how high or low the food is in things like calories, salt, vitamins or fat,” “for getting a general idea of the nutritional content of the food” and “to compare different food items with each other.”  
• Consumers are familiar with food package claims — More than 80% of respondents have seen claims such as “No added sugar,” “Whole grain,” “Organic,” “Gluten-free,” “Low fat,” “No artificial ingredients,” “Low sugar” and “No artificial colors.”
• Most consumers have seen menu labeling at restaurants — Most respondents (70%) reported that they have seen calorie information on menus and menu boards. Of those who have seen such information, 53% reported using the calorie information, and most often indicated using it to avoid ordering high-calorie menu items.