A survey conducted by ad agency JWT has suggested that US consumers are anxious about food safety in the wake of the recent pet-food contamination.
In the survey, some 68% of consumers agreed that the recent contamination of pet food with rat poison showed how vulnerable the US is to an attack on its food supply, while only 12% disagreed.
The random and representative survey of 1,172 US adult consumers was conducted in the final week of March to gauge perceptions of the safety of the nation’s food supply.
According to the survey, 60% of Americans agree strongly or somewhat with the statement “I’m starting to believe that the food supply in the US isn’t as safe as it used to be”. Moreover, 47% said they did not believe that the US government is adequately prepared to respond quickly to an attack on the nation’s food and/or water supply, with only 24% saying that they did believe the government was adequately prepared.
“The American public clearly sees vulnerabilities in our nation’s food supply,” said JWT chairman and CEO Bob Jeffrey. “The recent pet-food scare compounds an already flagging Consumer Confidence Index, which fell last month as a result of rising gas prices, falling home values and a volatile stock market.”
Jeffrey continued: “The US government and food and beverage manufacturers need to reassure their public that preventative steps are being taken to safeguard them, their families and their pets. That kind of informative outreach will go a long way toward increasing consumer confidence.”
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