Americans have learned to eat their broccoli.
In a speech at Crop Production Week on Jan. 12, Andy Benson of the International Food Information Council in Washington, D.C., said a 2002 survey of American consumers showed 62 percent were eating at least one new food for its health benefits.
Broccoli topped the list of what they said they were trying, followed by, in descending order, fish, green leafy vegetables, oranges, carrots, garlic, fibre, milk, oats and tomatoes.
Benson said it’s part of a changing attitude toward food that has been noticed among North Americans and Europeans in the past decade.
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“People are now looking at the benefits from food, not looking at it as harmful as much any more.”
While past consumer surveys mentioned concerns about bacteria and pesticide contamination, they are now low on the priority list.
The food information council is supported by food, beverage and agricultural groups, but Benson insisted it is a neutral organization that doesn’t mention company or product names. It’s important to make that distinction, he added, because many consumers are skeptical about food claims and cite contradictory scientific studies such as whether people should eat wild or farmed fish.
“There is a need to inform the debate, not inflame it,” he said.
International consumer studies show different concerns, depending on the region, he added. In Asia, for example, animal diseases that can pass to humans are a major concern, following on the heels of avian flu and BSE.
However, BSE is not a serious issue for North American or European consumers who still eat beef. Latin American consumers say they are concerned about biotechnology, low calorie sweeteners and food additives. In Africa, the main concern is having enough food.
Benson said the varying views are based on public discussion. The loudest voice is not always correct, especially if it is from a company or producer group with a vested interest. As well, he said too much scientific terminology can scare people who want their explanations in plain words.
In Europe, a 2002 survey asking people who they trust for information about food found only 13 percent believed farm groups, while 54 percent trusted the medical profession, 49 percent consumer organizations, 46 percent environmental groups and 33 percent universities.
When a farmer asked Benson how growers can make their claims of functional foods stick with the public, he said they should make sure the regulating authority supports their marketing claim.
“Follow the rules laid out by government for what labels can say. Your enthusiasm for your product can cause you to oversell.”
As people look to food to make them healthy, a new science is developing called nutrigenomics, which means manipulating food intake according to an individual’s genetic makeup.
This means people who are more likely to develop diabetes or heart disease because of a family propensity will consciously eat a healthier diet that limits sweets or fats.
