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Food Safety and the New Zealand public: a quantitative study

Background

In 2003, the NZFSA commissioned a study undertaken by UMR Research on the perceptions of the New Zealand general public on food safety issues, providing a benchmark on food safety public perception. The key objectives of the research were to measure:

• awareness of, interest in and knowledge of food safety issues
• level of concern about food safety issues at different outlets and for different foods
• perceptions of food safety in New Zealand
• awareness of appropriate food safety practices
• attitudes towards food safety
• awareness of and confidence in Government monitoring and enforcement of food safety standards
• incidence of foodborne illness and observed poor food safety practices
• awareness of the NZFSA..

Key Finding Synopsis

A majority of respondents expressed interest in food safety issues in New Zealand. Self reported levels of knowledge on food safety issues were not quite as high as levels of interest. A slight majority of respondents declared they had reasonable levels of knowledge about food safety issues. 44% of respondents declared some concern about food safety issues.

Food-related issues that respondents were most concerned about included salmonella, listeria, antibiotics in meat and the use of pesticides to grow food. In general, females were more likely to be concerned about food-related issues than males. Foods that respondents were most concerned about with regards to food safety were chicken, shellfish and food displayed in warming ovens. In general, females were also more likely to express food safety concerns about particular foods than males. Foods that respondents expressed least amount of concern about were fresh fruit, cheese, fresh vegetables, and canned food.

Most respondents considered food safety standards in New Zealand to be improving. When comparing New Zealand's food safety standards to other similar Western countries the majority of respondents considered that food safety standards in New Zealand were better.

Places that respondents were most concerned about with regards to food safety were mobile food outlets, buffets, franchised fast food outlets, Asian restaurants and food halls. Places that respondents were least concerned about were home and farms.

Just over 2 in 10 respondents declared that they had experienced foodborne illness over the last two years. Most of these respondents believed that the foodborne illness had been caused from food purchased outside the home. Just over 3 in 10 respondents who had experienced foodborne illness outside of the home declared that they had reported their illness.

Around half of those surveyed declared that they had observed poor food safety practices in outlets over the last two years. Confidence that the monitoring and enforcement of food safety standards was strictly carried out in New Zealand was moderate, with only 34% declaring they were confident this was happening

Full Quantitative Research Report

This full report on the study, commissioned by the NZFSA and undertaken by UMR Research, provides comprehensive benchmark information on attitudes towards food safety issues in New Zealand.

• Full Quantitative Research Report [PDF 591K ]

International Comparison Research Report

This research paper summarises comparisons with available international studies on some of the food safety issues included in the New Zealand benchmark study.

• International Comparison Research Report [PDF 503K ]