Survey by Italy’s Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium reveals Canadians’ thoughts on food security
TORONTO, June 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadians overwhelmingly feel it is important to understand the ingredients they are putting in their body. This is according to a new survey by The Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano.
The food origins survey, an Angus Reid Study of 1504 Canadians, put a lens on how much people value food traceability, natural ingredients and feeling safe with what they are putting in their bodies. Overall, nine-in-ten Canadians (91%) feel it is important to understand the ingredients they are putting in their body. When asked about their food concerns, 84 per cent of Canadians feel concerned with where their food comes from. This concern increased with age.
Table: Canadians food habits (Q: Do you agree or disagree with the following statements)
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| Total | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||||||
| It is important to understand the ingredients I am putting in my body | 91 | % | 90 | % | 93 | % | 89 | % | 90 | % | 94 | % |
| I am concerned about where my food comes from | 84 | % | 81 | % | 87 | % | 79 | % | 83 | % | 88 | % |
| I am a big advocate of farm-to-table foods | 79 | % | 78 | % | 79 | % | 75 | % | 77 | % | 82 | % |
“We conducted this survey to get a benchmark on Canadians’ food habits and concerns,” said Nicola Bertinelli, president of the Consorzio del Parmigiano Reggiano. “Not only can we see that Canadians understand the importance of quality ingredients, but the results highlight their concerns about food safety.”
The study shows that Canadians value quality ingredients. Three quarters of Canadians (74%) are willing to pay more for quality foods. Despite the increase in organic, non-GMO, natural foods, only four-in-ten Canadians believe these claims.
Food traceability is increasing in concern for Canadians. 76 per cent are yearning to know where their food comes from and agree that being able to trace their food to its source makes them feel safer.
Table: Canadians’ food concerns (Q: Do you agree or disagree with the following statements)
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| Total | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||||||
| I value quality foods and I’m willing to pay more for them | 74 | % | 76 | % | 71 | % | 78 | % | 72 | % | 72 | % |
| I believe food product claims (non-GMO, 100% natural, organic, etc.) | 40 | % | 38 | % | 42 | % | 41 | % | 34 | % | 44 | % |
| Being able to trace my food to its source makes me feel safer | 76 | % | 73 | % | 78 | % | 78 | % | 74 | % | 75 | % |
Smaller than a grain of salt
New technology has the ability to deliver previously unseen levels of traceability, inventory tracking and control, product authentication, quality-assurance testing, product serialization, and consumer safety with innovative, food-safe digital tags.
To support Canadians’ desire for food safety and traceability, The Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano has partnered with Kaasmerk Matec (Kaasmerk) and p-Chip Corporation (p-Chip) to launch a line of food-safe and secure traceability digital labels for its Parmigiano Reggiano cheese wheels.