MSU Food Literacy and Engagement Poll: Wave III

October 10, 2018

Numbers listed reflect percentages.

When shopping for food, how often do you search the label for information regarding each of the following ingredients:

Non-GMO/GMO-free


Always	22
Sometimes	27
Rarely	20
Never	31

Gluten-free


Always	14
Sometimes	22
Rarely	21
Never	43

Natural


Always	27
Sometimes	38
Rarely	16
Never	19

Bioengineered


Always	13
Sometimes	22
Rarely	21
Never	44

Low sodium


Always	23
Sometimes	36
Rarely	20
Never	21

Location of production


Always	17
Sometimes	33
Rarely	22
Never	38

Clean


Always	32
Sometimes	26
Rarely	16
Never	26

Smart


Always	17
Sometimes	23
Rarely	22
Never	38

Organic


Always	21
Sometimes	32
Rarely	22
Never	25

How often do you purchase organic foods?


Always	13
Sometimes	46
Rarely	25
Never	16

Why do you buy organic foods?

Respondents were allowed to choose more than one option.


To avoid pesticides	36
To avoid GMOs	27
Organic food is healthier	41
Organic food is safer	33
Organic food is more natural	40
Better for the environment	26

Animal welfare	13
My doctor suggests it	9
Friends/family eat organic .	15
Support local farmers	27
Not sure	11
Other	5

Why do you not buy organic foods?

Respondents were allowed to choose more than one option.


Too expensive	57
Not healthier than any other foods	26
Not safer than any other foods	22
Never considered it/don't pay attention	26
Better for the environment	1
Animal welfare	1
Not sure	16
Other	2

Do you take steps to reduce the amount of food waste at home?


Yes	86
No	14

Why do you not take steps to reduce food waste at home?

Respondents were allowed to choose more than one option.


I am not familiar with the term "food waste"	9
I do not know how to reduce food waste	22
I am not concerned about food waste	18
I do not waste food at home	38
I do not have time	10
Prefer not to answer	12

Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statement: All food with deoxyribonucleic acid should be labeled.


Agree somewhat or completely	49
Neither agree nor disagree	43
Disagree somewhat or completely	8

Using a 1 to 5 scale, where 1 is not at all influential and 5 is very influential, how influential are food labels in your buying decisions?


Influential or very influential (4-5)	60
Some influence (3)	27
No influence (1-2)	13

Using a 1 to 5 scale, where 1 is much lower than an average person and 5 is much higher than an average person, how would you rank your understanding of the global food system?


Higher than average (4-5)	37
Average (3)	42
Lower than average (1-2)	21

How often do you seek information about where your food was grown and how it was produced?


Every day	10
At least once a week	20
At least once a month	19
Less than once a month	28
Never	23

Using a 1 to 5 scale, where 1 is do not trust at all and 5 is completely trust, how much do you trust the following individuals or groups when it comes to the health and safety of food?

Scientists employed by government agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)


Trust (4-5)	45
Neither trust nor distrust (3)	31
Distrust (1-2)	24

Scientists employed by private corporations


Trust(4-5)	30
Neither trust nor distrust (3)	36
Distrust (1-2)	34

Scientists employed by academic institutions


Trust (4-5)	52
Neither trust nor distrust (3)	32
Distrust (1-2)	16

When it comes to nutrition and health, where do you turn most frequently for information?


Friends/family	17
My doctor	32
Books	6
Magazines (i.e. "Dr. Oz," "Oprah")	4
Blogs	5
Television	6
Social media	12
Scientific journals/academic research	18

Methodology

The Michigan State University Food Literacy and Engagement Poll was conducted online between August 6-9, 2018 among 2,058 U.S. residents aged 18 and over. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. The poll is administered by Toluna, NA, a leader in online research that manages one of the world’s largest internet-based research panels with more than 4.5 million registered and active users.

All surveys are subject to multiple sources of error. Most of these errors are often impossible to quantify. In addition to sampling error, these errors include coverage error, non-response error, interviewer bias when appropriate, and the error associated with how a question is asked or the response options given. The overall margin of error would be 3 percentage points at the widest interval.

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