A survey of one-thousand American consumers by Hunter Public Relations shows the Midwest drought, the controversy over so-called pink slime and genetically modified organisms were the food stories with the most influence in 2012. The annual Food News Study not only asked for perceptions on the year’s top food stories – but also how the news items impacted their behavior. Forty-three percent of those responding ranked the Midwest drought as the top story. Of those aware of the drought – 70-percent comparison shopped for the lowest prices and 33-percent purchased more canned fruit and vegetables. The stories about lean, finely textured beef did affect consumer purchases of meat. Thirty-four percent said they bought or consumed less ground beef – with 53-percent purchasing more chicken and 31-percent opting for more fish.
Among the other top food news stories cited by those participating in the survey were healthier lunches, omega-3s, the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign and the New York soda ban.
Source: NAFB News Service