Dutch consumers’ attitude towards industrial food processing

Abstract

Industrial food processing and its possible adverse effects on health are widely debated in scientific literature and media. There is not much known about consumers’ attitudes towards the processing of foods. Therefore, a questionnaire (n = 463) was distributed and interviews (n = 11) were conducted with Dutch consumers to evaluate the attitudes and associations towards industrial food processing and to assess opinions about communications on food processing and health. The results showed that 51% of the respondents had a neutral, 23% had a positive, and 26% had a negative attitude towards food processing. Respondents with a background in food by profession or education (n = 159) had more frequently a positive attitude towards food processing (P = 0.008). Respondents and interviewees pointed out both positive and negative associations with industrial processing: additives, artificial, not fresh, low nutritional value, unnatural, but also palatability, food safety, shelf life, and convenience. The questionnaire showed that 70% of the respondents thought food processing had a (slightly) negative health effect. Most interviewees indicated that when doing groceries, food processing per se is not relevant in food choices, although some critically inspected the ingredients. Furthermore, interviewees indicated that communication about food and health is scattered and complex. They would like to gain easy and straightforward information from a central source. From the questionnaire respondents, 60% indicated that they would like to have more information about food processing. In conclusion, most Dutch consumers in this study have a neutral and nuanced attitude towards industrial food processing. A connection with food via profession or education showed a more positive attitude, which may indicate the importance of knowledge and the need for clear communication about nutrition, ingredients, and food processing.