New age consumers attempting to stay trim, safe and spiritual in a fast food society have their work cut out for them.
That was the message from Toby Ten Eyck of the department of sociology and national food safety and toxicology centre at Michigan State University during the Western Nutrition conference in Saskatoon Sept. 30.
He said new age consumers seek experiences that make them feel spiritual and connected to their surroundings, but with nearly 84 percent of consumers getting their food to go, being new age is difficult.
Read Also
Man charged after assault at grain elevator
RCMP have charged a 51-year-old Weyburn man after an altercation at the Pioneer elevator at Corinne, Sask. July 22.
“So much of the literature says people who eat fast food are completely disconnected from the food supply other than what they are eating. They don’t know where this food came from. They don’t care. All they want to do is get something quick. Hopefully it will taste good, and they can get back to work so they can get to their next meal, which will be another fast food meal. And how can you be holistic, how can you be new age if everything you do is that sort of thing?”
Even with salads on the fast food menu, the new age consumer has ethical and food safety issues to think about. In believing their food is part of them, new age consumers feel their food choices need to be good for their communities.
“They’re thinking that organic is healthier, more environmentally friendly. And if it’s healthier and more environmentally friendly, ‘it will also do things for me that will help my mind and my body and my soul and all these things. It becomes the idea that the function of food is part of me.’ “
Ten Eyck said natural new age foods aren’t necessarily safer than their conventional counterparts, but consumers have a romanticized version of what the organic farmer is without knowing the reality of food production.
“We know that just like conventional farmers, there are organic farmers out there who are practising things that aren’t safe. And what happens when it leaves the farm? A lot of consumers don’t know. They see the organic label but don’t understand this has been shipped a certain length, it’s been at a certain temperature, it’s been sitting next to certain things, it was harvested in a certain way, fertilizers were used or not used. They don’t know that. They see organic and say it must be safe.”
In a society where food is no longer solely about surviving, consuming has two components to it – show and use. Today’s consumers buy based on the image a name brand can grant.
“When we’re in a crowded grocery store a lot of us tend to want to buy things based on the packaging, based on the image that this will give us when we walk up to the check-out counter. … Whether it’s right at the top of our minds or somewhere else, we’re thinking ‘I don’t want my friends to see me with the generic brand. I want my friends to see me with the name brand. That means I’ve made it, I’ve done well.’ “
He said new age consumers also want to reflect an image. Many buy organic food to make an impression on guests, but consume generic food regularly. While the end use of the products may be the same, it matters little compared to the image the organic product provides.
“Someone who is new age, who is looking for that spirituality, what are they getting out of eating an organic carrot? Are they getting more nutrition out of an organic carrot than a conventionally grown carrot? Well they’re not, scientifically. But if they think they are, then you have something going on there you have to think about – packaging. These people are into packaging. They’ll say they’re not but they are because they are looking for something that will make them whole.”
Ultimately consumers shop with their wallets. According to Ten Eyck, consumers want organic or regionally produced foods, but if the price exceeds its conventional counterpart by more than 50 cents, the former loses out.
“When the economy was up, that’s when we saw a real big push toward organic. But now that there’s been a downturn, you’re seeing the organics going away, which points to this as an economic issue, not just ideological.”
