Dazed and confused
Jun 06, 2017
ARLINGTON, VA – According to the International Food Information Council Foundation’s 12th Annual Food and Health Survey, food information overload is having a detrimental effect on decisions Americans make when it comes to diet and health, however, there’s good news for rice in some areas.
The survey, of more than 1,000 American adults, revealed that 96 percent of consumers seek out health benefits in what they eat and drink, however, 78 percent report seeing confusing or conflicting information about what to eat and what to avoid.
“Part of this is their own fault, since 77 percent say they look to friends and family for nutrition and food safety information, but only 29 percent say they trust their friends and family,” said Michael Klein, vice president of domestic promotion for USA Rice. “The good news is they also seek out and trust Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) either in person or online or on television.”
Klein said USA Rice has spent several years building up strong networks of RDNs to help disseminate good and useful information about U.S.-grown rice, including Supermarket Retail Dietitian Toolkits that provide ideas for thinking, writing, and talking about rice with consumers that are distributed in the run up to National Rice Month.
More good news for U.S. grown rice can be found in attitudes on package and label information.
Eighty-eight percent of respondents want to be able to recognize ingredients listed on the package, and 76 percent make purchasing decisions based on the number of ingredients listed.
“So many of the packages in our aisle list a single, clearly identifiable ingredient: ‘milled rice,’ it is reassuring to consumers,” Klein said.
The survey found consumers remain distrustful of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), with 73 percent seeking out non-GMO food because they believe these foods are either healthier, safer, or better for the environment.
“With no GMO rice in commercial production in this country, we can satisfy consumers with these concerns,” Klein said. “Interesting to us is that we also have a great sustainability story to tell, but it doesn’t resonate as strongly with consumers yet.”
Amongst labels consumers regularly seek out on food packages, “Sustainably Sourced” came in last behind: “No added hormones,” “Natural,” “No antibiotics,” “Pesticide-free,” “Non-GMO,” “Organic,” and “Locally-Sourced.”
“We have a healthy, safe, sustainably-produced product and it is gratifying to see these factors are all important to consumers to one degree or another,” Klein said. “We’ll continue to tell our story to explain why U.S.-grown rice is always the right choice.”