Are Consumers Nowadays Interested in Ingredients When Purchasing Random Grocery - Research Paper Example

ARE CONSUMERS NOWADAYS INTERESTED IN INGREDIENTS WHEN PURCHASING RANDOM GROCERY? CASE STUDY OF THE HORSE MEAT SCANDAL IN EUROPE Abstract Time and again, most consumers purchase items from the shops including groceries and other food products without considering the ingredients that make up the food product or the grocery. However, recent findings and scandals regarding ready-made food and grocery, most notably, the horse-meat scandal that shocked people in Europe, have significantly changed consumers shopping habits. This study attempts to show that, most consumers today, are interested in the ingredients that make up the groceries or food that they purchase off-the-shelf in restaurants, malls and supermarkets. The paper would focus more on the horse meat scandal that recently stunned consumers in Europe. Based on a survey conducted in which, 100 adults were interviewed via the use of questionnaires, 57% of the respondents stated that, they have since altered their shopping habits especially for meat products, as a result of the horse meat scandal in Europe. Additionally, this paper will also attempt to indicate that, the trust that consumer’s had in ready-made food and groceries, especially, processed meat products have significantly declined and that most consumers were buy less processed meat products and groceries. Are consumers nowadays interested in ingredients when purchasing random grocery? Case study of the horse meat scandal in Europe Introduction The current indictments by the federal government with regards to the peanuts farce, in 2009 that left approximately 20, 000 sickened people and more than five people dead in the United States and the current horsemeat debacle in Europe and Canada are clear indicators that consumers are still not interested in knowing the ingredients that make up their grocery and/or food. Theses debacles above all, have managed to shed more light on an important aspect that concerns the food that we, as consumers, consume. Over the years, the global food chain has become complex and sophisticated; a fact that is attributable to major food companies losing their grip on the ingredients they use because of their objective of maximizing profits at all expenses. Since the book, Fast Food Nation, many things have changed in as far eating and food/grocery shopping habits of people in Europe are concerned. People depended more on fast food for their meals, be it lunch or dinner, this habit has also since been transferred to the grocery store (Schlosser, 2012). It has also been very much engineered by major food manufacturers in the world, who consider it a way of competing with fast-food chains. This has been the case since the early 90s when manufacturers of grocery found it worth not to continue fighting for spaces in grocery shelves, but rather entice consumers away from other food sources including school-served lunch and fast-food chains. As a result, grocery and food manufacturing firms have devised formulas to extensively manufacture easy-to-prepare meals products and groceries so as to counter what fast-food restaurants and joint are producing. These recent developments in the food manufacturing industry have raised questions with regards to the right of consumers to the knowledge of ingredients that make up the food products and groceries. Additional questions with regards to the role played food regulators, health practitioners and nutritionists in assisting consumers in identifying the ingredients manufacturers use in manufacturing fast-foods, fast-grocery, and other easy-ready-to-prepare processed foods. This is in keeping with recent developments with regards to processed foods in which the issues of genetically modified foods, fresh organic foods and other processed foods are concerned. However, despite the evident steps taken by food regulators, nutritionists and health practitioners in ensuring that consumers are aware of ingredients used in manufacturing of processed foods, fast foods and groceries, problems associated with mislabeling of food products, and other recent food related scandals including the horse-meat and the peanut farce have raised fresh pertinent issues regarding the safety of processed foods, fast foods and groceries that consumers are purchasing off-the shelves. In the EU, European Union, food manufacturers do not publish the information regarding the origin of the foods they manufacture, especially those sold in the European markets, as a result, consumers are not privy to such information (EurActiv.com PLC, 2013). However, there are those manufacturers who feel that it is their moral obligation to provide such information. This is to ensure that it is possible for consumers to figure out whether the grocery or food they are purchasing is freshly produced, genetically modified, or wholly processed and where the food products originate from. In regard of these measures taken by regulatory bodies, health practitioners and nutritionists; recent food scandals such as the horse meat scandals and other pertinent issues, this paper attempts to show that, the consumers of today are very much interested in the ingredients that make up the grocery or food that they purchase off-the-shelf. Additionally, this paper will attempt to ascertain whether, consumers have the right, either legal or moral, to be accorded access to the ingredients that make up food products or groceries that they purchase off-the-shelf or in restaurants. In order to prove these hypotheses, this research will ask and answer the following questions with the objectives of: Determining whether consumers nowadays are interested in the ingredients when purchasing random grocery Determining the role of food regulators, health practitioners, and nutritionists in ensuring the safety of food products and groceries purchased by consumers. Determining whether consumers have either moral or legal right to access information regarding the ingredients of random groceries and food they purchase. Determining whether in any way, recent food scandal, specifically the horse meat scandal, has altered the consumers’ interest in the ingredients of the food and groceries that they randomly purchase. Research Questions 1. Are the consumers nowadays are interested in the ingredients when purchasing random grocery 2. What is the role played by the role of food regulators, health practitioners, and nutritionists in ensuring the safety of food products and groceries purchased by consumers? 3. Do consumers have either moral or legal right to access information regarding the ingredients of random groceries and food they purchase? 4. Have the recent food scandals, specifically the horse meat scandal, in any way altered the consumers’ interest in the ingredients of the food and groceries that they randomly purchase? Literature Review As a result of these developments, food manufacturing regulatory bodies, and many food health professionals and organizations have extensively written reports, articles and books aimed at guiding and informing consumers of the ingredients used in the manufacturing of the so called, “fast-groceries”, fast-foods, and other easy-to-prepare meals. These reports, articles, digest and books, are, in addition, aimed at informing consumers of the need-to-know and to check the ingredients that make-up the foods and groceries that they purchase. A good example is the article, Grocery Warning: The Seven Most Dangerous Ingredients in Conventional Foods, by Adams (2006), which aims at advising or alerting consumers of some of the dangerous ingredients that they should watch out for in the groceries they purchase; Adams argues that these ingredients, dubbed, the “deadly seven” can directly promote migraines, osteoporosis, heart disease, birth defects, diabetes and outrageous cravings for food. Mothers for Natural Law (2001) in their article, What to Eat, How to Shop, are also trying to enlighten consumers on the importance of being interested and checking the ingredients of the food and groceries they want to purchase. Their article is specifically concerned with helping consumers avoid the health risks and dangers associated with genetic engineered food/grocery. It advises consumers who intend to ensure that they avoid genetically engineered food while purchasing processed food to always read the labels on the products so as to be aware of the ingredients used. Contrary to advising and urging consumers of whether or not to read ingredients on food labels, Adams (2007) advances a different argument by suggesting that food manufacturers today, trick consumers using ingredients lists that are deceptive. Adams argues that manufacturers, instead of using ingredient lists on food label to inform consumers of what makes up the food product or grocery, they use the lists to try and trick consumers into thinking that their products are of better quality and healthier than they really are. This in essence, raises a myriad of questions with regards to recent claims of mislabeling of food products as advanced by Tan (2013), who argues that, the meat scandal in Europe was pure case of food manufacturing firms-processed meat-taking advantage of an opportunity to make profits by deceiving consumers of the content of food product or grocery through deliberate mislabeling. It is clear, at least according to Moss (2013), most consumers nowadays do not know the ingredients that constitute the food that they purchase off-the-shelf and consume. This, Moss (2013) argues has been proven by the recent scandals, the horse meat scandal, the peanut farce and other mislabeling allegations. Moss also contends that, consumers are not aware of the many sophisticated methodologies manufacturers use in formulating the foods and groceries that we purchase, as such, he urges that consumers must be wary of the nutrition facts and tip-offs that are provided on the product labels. This is position and point emphasized on by MacDonald (2012), who argues that individuals have the right to know what ingredients are in the random groceries or food that they purchase; however, he maintains that, this right is not legal, but moral, even though, there are certain jurisdictions that it might be a legal regulation for manufacturers to include the list of ingredients in the product labels. Methodology This research, in trying to show that, the consumers of today are very much interested in the ingredients that make up the grocery or food that they purchase off-the-shelf and that they have a right, either legal or moral, to be accorded access to the ingredients that make up food products or groceries that they purchase off-the-shelf or in restaurants, employs the qualitative research methodology, in which a simple survey using questionnaires via interviews and literature review are used. 100 adults were interviewed via the use of questionnaires, in which the research questions, specifically the following questions were asked 1. Are you interested in the ingredients when purchasing random grocery? 2. Has the recent food scandals, specifically the horse meat scandal, in any way altered your interest in the ingredients of the food and groceries that you randomly purchase? 3. Do you think that you have either the moral or legal right to access information regarding the ingredients of random groceries and food that you purchase? Various previous research papers, studies, and surveys were relied upon, as well, specifically magazine and newspaper articles as has been articulated in the literature review section. Research Findings and Discussions The horse meat scandal, as had earlier been noted, opened the flood gates for an intensive debate with regards to the traceability and source of the food that consumers choose to consume (Tan, 2013). Tan argues that, as a result of the horse meat scandal and other mislabeling claims that have risen in the recent past, many shoppers have changed their shopping habits. Albeit, not in way of either their interest or disinterest in the ingredients in the random food or groceries they purchase, but rather, to the way of them changing their shopping areas. Most of them have now opted to shop in farmers markets and small-scale shops. This is because shoppers/consumers feel that they are able to trust local farmers who they can talk to more than they do label placed by manufacturers who may be millions of miles away (Tan, 2013). Consumers have also shown interest, not in the ingredients, but rather on the location or origin form which the product they purchasing originated or was manufactured. According to Scott-Thomas (2013), a survey conducted in Europe by the European Consumer Organization, found out that a majority of consumers in Europe consider the origin of groceries or a food product to be a very important factor when purchasing groceries. However, it is worth to note that, the survey was not only concerned with the origin of the food or grocery but, was also concerned with where the primary ingredients were harvested or farmed; this was overwhelmingly of important interest to consumers (Scott-Thomas, 2013). This interesting finding is also reiterated by EurActiv.com PLC (2013), who argues that EU consumers, including those in Austria, deem the origin of a food product they purchase to be very important, despite the fact that food labeling legislations do not require manufacturers to provide such information. The article by EurActiv.com PLC (2013) assert that consumers equate the quality and safety of food to their origin, especially with regards to vegetables, dairy products, fish and fruits. On the basis of the simple 100-person questionnaire-based survey that was carried in the process of this study, 70 percent of the respondents that were questioned agreed in the affirmative that they had change their shopping habits as a result of the recent food scandal, the horse meat scandal. Most of them argued that they had opted not to purchase processed foods or groceries, especially processed beef. Given the responsibility and duty of the government to regulate and ensure labeling laws, most respondents argued that they were not satisfied with the way the government was handling and enforcing labeling laws. Therefore, most consumers feel that they are not fully confident in the food that they are purchasing. Additionally, most respondents in answering the questions of whether they were entitled to know the ingredients of the random groceries they purchase, most respondents believed that it was their right to be accorded that information. This was consistent with the assertions made by MacDonald (2012) that consumers have the right, moral right, to be accorded the information regarding the ingredients in the grocery that they randomly purchase and consume. Conclusion As indicated in the literature review, specifically in Adams (2006); Mothers for Natural Law (2001); Roseboro (2004), it is clear that health practitioners and nutritionists play a fundamental role in assisting and advising consumers on the importance of getting to know of the ingredients in the food and grocery that they randomly purchase. This study has also found out, as illustrated in the research findings and discussion section, that consumers nowadays are interested-more interested-in the ingredients that constitute the foods and grocery that they purchase and consume. Additionally, this study has found out that, the horse meat scandal has significantly affected the shopping habits and interests of consumers in the ingredients that make up the grocery and food that they purchase, especially, in Austria. This study has also affirmed that, consumers have the moral right to be made aware of the ingredients in the groceries and food that they purchase randomly; in jurisdictions such as the EU, it is a legal right for consumers, not only to be made aware of the ingredients, but also the origin of the ingredients and food/grocery, especially processed meat products. In this regard, this study has managed to affirm the hypotheses that; the consumers of today are very much interested in the ingredients that make up the grocery or food that they purchase off-the-shelf and that the consumers have the right, either legal or moral, to be accorded access to the ingredients that make up food products or groceries that they purchase off-the-shelf or in restaurants. References Adams, M. (2006). Grocery Warning: The Seven Most Dangerous Ingredients in Conventional Foods. Organic Consumers Association. Retrieved March 28, 2013, from http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_705.cfm Adams, M. (2007). How food manufacturers trick consumers with deceptive ingredients lists. Natural News.com. Retrieved March 28, 2013, from http://www.naturalnews.com/021929_groceries_food_products.html EurActiv.com PLC. (2013). Consumers want clearer origin labeling of their food: Survey. EurActiv.com. Retrieved March 28, 2013, from http://www.euractiv.com/consumers/eu-consumers-want-better-food-or-news-517321 MacDonald, C. (2012). The Right to Know What I’m Eating. The Food Ethics Blog. Retrieved March 28, 2013, from http://food-ethics.com/2010/09/28/the-right-to-know-what-im-eating/ Moss, M. (2013). What’s in Your Food? Michael Moss Reveals the Food Industry’s Secrets. The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 28, 2013, from http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/03/24/what-s-in-your-food-michael-moss-reveals-the-food-industry-s-secrets.html Mothers for Natural Law. (2001). What to Eat, How to Shop. Mothers for Natural Law. Retrieved March 28, 2013, from http://www.safe-food.org/-consumer/shop.html Roseboro, K. (2004). Genetically Altered Foods and Your Health: Food at Risk (pp. 45–64). North Bergen, NJ: Basic Health Publications, Inc. Schlosser, E. (2012). Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Scott-Thomas, C. (2013). Most consumers would like clearer food origin info, survey finds. William Reed Business Media. Retrieved March 28, 2013, from http://www.foodnavigator.com/Legislation/Most-consumers-would-like-clearer-food-origin-info-survey-finds?utm_source=copyright&utm_medium=OnSite&utm_campaign=copyright Tan, D. (2013). Lessons for Asia from the Horse Meat Scandal. Asian Scientist. Retrieved March 28, 2013, from http://www.asianscientist.com/features/lessons-asia-horse-meat-scandal-2013/ Read More