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Food safety and the New Zealand public 2007 survey

1 Introduction

1.1 Background

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) was established in 2002. The Authority takes a new approach to food safety by bringing together the food safety functions of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and the Ministry of Health (MoH). The vision of NZFSA is, ‘a world leading food regulatory programme that has the confidence of all stakeholders’.

The mission of NZFSA is, ‘to protect consumers and enhance New Zealand’s position as a trusted supplier of food’.

In June 2007, NZFSA commissioned UMR Research to conduct a quantitative study investigating topics associated with food safety issues among New Zealanders. This research provides updates on previous projects conducted by UMR for NZFSA in 2003 and 2005.

• The original 2003 benchmark study consisted of three parts: desk research, qualitative (focus group research) and a quantitative study.

• The 2005 study repeated (with some minor question changes and additions) the quantitative component of the 2003 study.

• The 2007 study updates the desk research from 2003 and the quantitative numbers from 2003 and 2005. The 2007 study involved a more substantial revision of the questionnaire, although comparisons for key measures over time were maintained.

1.2 Research methodology

The quantitative stages of the 2003, 2005 and 2007 projects each consisted of telephone surveys of a nationally representative sample of n=750 New Zealanders aged 18 years or over. Fieldwork for the 2007 survey was conducted between 26th June and 2nd July 2007 from UMR Research‟s national fieldwork centre in Auckland.

The margin of error for a 50% figure at the 95% confidence level is ±3.6%. The sample is stratified into 23 telephone directory regions. The number of residential addresses in each of these regions is determined and a quota is then specified as to the proportion of the sample that must fall in each region. A random sample of telephone numbers is generated from all number ranges found in Telecom‟s White Pages for New Zealand. Random digit dialling is conducted off this sample so that unlisted numbers are captured in the sample.

To limit the sample frame to “private households with telephones” the following types of telephone numbers are filtered out from the sample:

• Telecom Yellow Pages.

• Disconnected or fax lines.

• Where the interviewer determines that contact is not a private household/ business lines.

Up to five call-backs are made to initially selected respondents to ensure that non-response has a minimal impact on the representativeness of the sample. Appointments are made to ring back respondents if the time they are first contacted is not convenient. Respondents are called from 5.30pm to 9.00pm during the week, from 9.30am to 6.00pm on Saturday and from 9.30am to 9.00pm on Sunday.

1.3 Notes on this report

Some tables in this report may not add up to exactly 100% because of rounding or because they were questions where respondents were able to give more than one response. Multiple response questions have been noted.

Supplementary demographic tables have been provided at the end of this report. Care should be taken when analysing results amongst small sub-samples. As a general rule, results from sub-samples less than n=100 should be treated as indicative only.

Charts and table have been provided for questions that appear in the 2003, 2005 and 2007 studies. Where a question appeared in 2005 and 2007 or in 2007 only, tables have been provided.