Over half of US consumers claim they have stopped eating a product if it was the subject of a recent food recall, according to a study from Deloitte.
Some 57% of shoppers in the US admit to shunning a particular food – albeit temporarily – if the product had been recalled on safety grounds.
The report also suggested consumer awareness of food recalls was growing with 73% of shoppers believing the number of food recalls had risen in the last year. Over three-quarters of consumers are now “more concerned” about the foods they eat than five years ago.
“These findings underscore how urgent it is for food manufacturers to do all they can to address the problem of food recalls head-on,” said Pat Conroy, Deloitte vice chairman and US consumer products practice leader.
Last year’s scares over food imported from China also seems to have had an impact on consumer behaviour in the US.

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By GlobalDataAccording to the study, 56% think imported foods are either “somewhat” or “not at all” safe. By contrast, 80% of US consumers believe domestically-produced foods are safe.