One in Five Customers Think ‘Organic’ Means ‘Low Fat’

A new study has shown that 19 percent of British people believe that ‘organic food’ is the same as ‘low fat food’

By Chris Farnell | Thu Jul 29, 2010

TAGS: consumer, fat, Food Manufacturing, Labeling, low fat, organic, Retail, Survey

For many customers, 'organic' has the same connota

A study has revealed the common misconceptions of British consumers when it comes to food produce.

Of the people asked, 19 percent, nearly one in five, believed that if food was labeled organic it meant it was low in fat. Just under a quarter of respondents were unsure what organic meant altogether.

These results come not long after the defeat of the FSA’s Traffic Light Labeling scheme in the European parliament, which many campaigners say would have made nutritional information on packaging easier for customers to understand.

The study looked into how informed British consumers are regarding the nutritional content of food they eat. Just over two fifths, 42 percent, claimed to regularly check the nutritional label of every food product they consumed, when provided; one in ten, 11 percent, admitted to being unaware of where to find such information. Of these, 46 percent thought that the internet would be the only place to source such nutritional content.

The study was commissioned by MyVoucherCodes.co.uk using a sample of 1,662 people in the pole. Consumers in the sample were asked questions surrounding their knowledge of food produce.

Mark Pearson, Managing Director of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, commented on the findings:“The organic message has clearly been misinterpreted by a large number of the British public, many of whom seem to regard it as a diet or health food. Whilst many can argue the health benefits of organic produce, people need to be aware of its chief purpose as a product free from synthetic growth and preservation chemicals; providing a more ‘natural’ food alternative.

“Perhaps supermarkets need to ensure that people are getting the right message when it comes to food, clearly stating on packaging what exactly ‘organic’ means in terms of the product it represents. Whilst organic can be healthier from a chemical point of view, this doesn’t equate to weight loss. The same can be said for ‘low sugar’ foods too; as whilst products may be able to cut down their sugar content, this doesn’t automatically mean that fat and calories follow suit!”

Read our article on the Honest Labeling Campaign here.