95% of Consumers Buy Private Brands but Concerns in Food Quality and Safety Point to Need for Greater Transparency

Trace One’s research underscores significant issues with consumer
confidence across all food brands

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Trace
One, a global leader in private brand product lifecycle management
(PLM) solutions and transparency software, today announced the results
of its “Global Consumer Food Safety and Quality” research. The
survey of over 3,000 shoppers across nine countries found that despite
buying private food brands often, consumers are concerned about the
safety and quality of the foods they eat.

Only 12 percent of the consumers surveyed said that they wholeheartedly
trust the safety of the private and National food brands they consume
and only 10 percent wholeheartedly trust the quality. In fact, more than
a quarter (27 percent) of consumers do not even trust the information on
food product labels.

An impressive 95 percent of consumers buy private brands, but trust was
not a driver of that action. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said
they chose private brands because of lower prices, whereas only 22
percent said they buy private brands because they trust the product’s
quality.

“The good news is that consumers worldwide have embraced the value of
private brands, but the bad news is that they still do not trust the
quality, safety and ingredient documentation of any food brand – be it
private or National,” said Chris Morrison, CMO of Trace One. “Consumers
are demanding more information and want reassurances that the foods
they’re eating are safe – and originating from reliable sources. Brands
that go above and beyond to share accurate and reliable product
information with consumers will ultimately be rewarded with increased
consumer trust.”

Key findings of the “Global Consumer Food Safety and Quality” research
also include:

• Of those who do not buy private brands, 25 percent named fewer choices
  and 24 percent cited lower food quality as their top reasons
• An overwhelming majority of respondents (91 percent) say it’s
  important to them to know where their food comes from, but nearly
  two-thirds (62 percent) say they’re not provided with enough
  information about what’s in their food and its origins
• 84 percent of respondents believe food retailers and manufacturers are
  responsible for private brand food quality and safety
• More than one-third (36 percent) believe food retailers or
  manufacturers don’t act quickly enough or provide timely information
  during health scares

The independent online
survey of more than 3,000 consumers was conducted in the summer
of 2015 in Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the
United States and the United Kingdom.

To learn more about this research, you can access our findings
here. For information about Trace One, visit www.traceone.com.

Contacts

Trace One
Victoria Poor, 617-326-8199
Director Field
Marketing, North America
Victoria.poor@traceone.com