2016 IFIC Food & Health Survey: Food Decisions Dialogue

The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation’s 2016 Food and Health Survey, “Food Decision 2016: The Impact of a Growing National Food Dialogue,” marks the 11th edition of an ongoing investigation into the beliefs and behaviors of Americans. The Survey, commissioned by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation, delves deeply into issues of health and diet, food components, food production, sustainability, and food safety. For eleven years, the Survey has uncovered important insights and trends for health professionals, government officials, educators, and others who seek to understand and improve the health of Americans. The 2016 Food & Health Survey continues this tradition, with a special focus on understanding the complex array of factors that influence food decisions in the United States. Related News and Analysis: Americans Remain Divided on Perceptions of GMO Labeling, IFIC Foundation Research Says Even on Food Issues, Politics Divides Americans A “Booming” Generation: Beliefs, Barriers and Behaviors Americans Don’t Know How Much Food They Waste

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IFIC Spotlight Survey: Plant Alternatives To Animal Meat

Highlights Every so often a new food trend captures our attention, only to fade once the novelty wears off. Other times, food trends have more staying power. The original veggie burger dates back decades, but more recently a new generation of plant alternatives to animal meat has exploded on the food scene, distinguished from their predecessors by the intent to mimic animal meat’s taste and texture. We know there is consumer interest, but we know little more about what people think of plant alternatives. The International Food Information Council’s (IFIC’s) latest consumer survey takes a closer look. Who participated in this survey? The survey was conducted among 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18+ in December 2019. To orient survey takers, the emerging food category was described as “meatless burgers, chicken, fish, sausages and other ground products that attempt to mimic the flavor and texture of animal protein but are made with only plant products.” Throughout the survey, these types of foods were collectively referred to as “plant alternatives to animal meat.” Most consumers identify as omnivores. The survey began by asking participants what type of diet they follow and provided definitions for the following options: omnivore, vegetarian, vegetarian on some days but not all days, vegan and pescatarian. Not surprisingly, the overwhelming majority (66%) of people in our survey identified as omnivores. Almost 50% of people have eaten a plant alternative to animal meat. Nearly half (49%) of survey participants reported having tried these newer meatless products. Looking closer, here are a few factors associated with the likelihood of having eaten a plant alternative to meat: New food curiosity drives consumption. While there are a variety of reasons why people have tried plant alternatives to animal meat, the top reason for doing so is liking to try new foods (41%). Among […]

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IFIC Spotlight Survey: Making Changes Stick: Consumer Research On New Year’s Diet Resolutions

Highlights You could say we’re intrigued by people’s attitudes, habits and perceptions about food here at IFIC. And while the start of a new year is often thought of as a fresh opportunity for change, we’ve begun to wonder: How many people actually adopt diet-related changes at the start of a new year? If they do, what changes do they adopt, and are they able to maintain them? We crafted our latest consumer survey to find out. This survey was conducted among 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18+ at the beginning of February 2020. We wanted to check in after January to see how adherence, challenges, and motivations were affecting respondents’ New Year’s diet resolutions—if they had any. How many people make dietary changes at the start of the new year? We began by asking participants if they had made any changes to their eating and/or drinking habits since the start of the new year. Forty-two percent reported “yes” and 58 percent reported “no.” Our results found that men, people who identify as Hispanic/Latinx and people under 45 years old were more likely to make dietary changes compared with women, other age groups, and other races and ethnicities, respectively. Of those who reported making dietary changes at the start of the year, the top change reported was avoiding or limiting sugar (23%), followed by “clean eating”* (19%), a weight loss plan or program (16%), a low-carb diet (15%) and mindful or intuitive eating (13%). (*This survey did not provide a definition for clean eating as there’s still no clear way to define this popular term.) Motivations, maintenance and challenges Why are people motivated to make changes to their eating or drinking habits? A desire to improve health was the top-reported answer (41%), followed by a desire to change one’s appearance or […]

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IFIC Spotlight Survey: COVID-19’s Impact On Food Purchasing, Eating Behaviors & Perceptions Of Food Safety

It’s been just over one month since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19, also known as the novel coronavirus, a global pandemic. And we continue to feel its impact in nearly every aspect of our lives. For many of us, our normal shopping routines – and certainly eating out – have been entirely upended. To capture what we know to be widespread changes in how we buy food, how we feel about food safety and ultimately what we eat, the International Food Information Council conducted a consumer research survey, which was fielded on April 6th and 7th. Here are some key takeaways: People are doing less shopping in-person and cooking more. When asked how their food shopping habits have changed over the past month (from early March to early April), half of all survey takers reported shopping in-person less, and nearly 4 in 10 said that they were buying more shelf-stable, pantry foods and buying more groceries each time they shopped. At the same time, nearly half (47%) of survey takers said that they were eating more home-cooked meals than one month ago. Nearly 1 in 3 reported that they were ordering less takeout or delivery than usual, while 16% say they were ordering in more often than they used to. Online grocery shopping sees the spotlight. As consumers shop in person less, 16% report that they’ve started shopping for groceries online; 13% report increasing the frequency of online deliveries. It makes sense, then, that 16% also highlighted online grocery shopping as a step they’re taking to feel comfortable with the safety of their food. While there were no statistically significant demographic differences seen in those who started online grocery ordering, college-educated people and those under the age of 45 were more likely to increase the frequency of their existing […]

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IFIC Spotlight Survey: Climate Change & Food Production

When many of us hear the term climate change, we think about changes in the weather and how human activity impacts our environment. Many consumers, as uncovered in IFIC’s previous research, also think about the environment when shopping for foods and beverages. Our latest survey dives deeper into climate change specifically as a factor in consumers’ minds when considering what foods to buy and, ultimately, to eat. IFIC’s new consumer research survey, “Climate Change and Food Production,” which was fielded on April 9th and 10th, provides unique insights into how consumers consider their concerns about climate change with food purchase decisions. Here are some key takeaways: Most people are concerned about climate change, and these concerns affect their food and beverage purchases. More than 70% of survey takers noted that they were at least somewhat concerned about climate change. Of those who said they were concerned, over half (52%) said these concerns sometimes impact their food and beverage purchases and nearly one in five (19%) said these concerns always impact their purchases. People under age 45, those living in the western U.S., and those who are college-educated were more likely to be very or somewhat concerned about climate change, while those in the 65+ age group were more likely to say that climate change concerns never impacted their food and beverage purchases. Most are concerned about food production’s impact on climate change, and consumers care about “the how.” Two out of every three people (67%) are at least somewhat concerned about the impact of food production on climate change (34% are very concerned; 33% are somewhat concerned). An additional 17% are “a little concerned,” while just 13% are not at all concerned. When we asked consumers to rank what they believe plays the largest role in our food system’s impact […]

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IFIC Spotlight Survey: Perceptions of Nutrient Density, How It Impacts Purchasing Decisions and Its Connection to Health Goals

Highlights “Nutrient density” is a concept that is central to making healthy dietary choices, describing the balance of beneficial nutrients in a food (like vitamins, minerals, lean protein, healthy fats and fiber) compared with nutrients to limit (like saturated fat, sodium, added sugars and refined carbohydrates). IFIC’s consumer research has shown that while many people have heard of nutrient density, there may be room to grow in terms of its application toward helping people make food choices that benefit their health. This survey set out to learn more about how people think about nutrient density as it relates to making purchasing decisions and connecting the concept to personal health goals. To set a baseline of understanding about this concept at the start of the survey, respondents were provided with the following definition of “nutrient-dense foods”: “The term ‘nutrient-dense foods’ indicates that there are more beneficial nutrients in a food (e.g., vitamins, minerals, lean protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates) compared to nutrients to limit (e.g., saturated fat, sodium, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates). Examples of nutrient-dense foods include packaged or unpackaged versions of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or fat-free milk products, seafood, lean meats, eggs, peas, beans and nuts that have been prepared with little or no added fats, sodium, sugars or refined carbohydrates.” In addition to demographic information like race/ethnicity, gender and age, this survey also examined the impact that weight status has on perceptions and behaviors related to nutrient density and health. Here are some key takeaways:  After reading the provided definition, nearly four in ten said that nutrient-dense foods should always be part of a healthy diet, while the same number said that they may be part of a healthy diet but that other factors are also important. White people and those with a college degree were more likely to […]

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IFIC Spotlight Surveys: A Continued Look At COVID-19’s Impact On Food Purchasing, Eating Behaviors & Perceptions Of Food Safety

In the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic has been entrenched in our daily lives for the better part of one year. In the midst of its impact on the health of many and the lives of everyone, the way we’re thinking and acting around food and food safety continues to evolve. IFIC released two ten-question consumer surveys of COVID-19’s effects on shopping for food, eating habits and perspectives on food safety: one in April and one in May. Since that time, we have been tracking select questions each month to assess changes in perceptions and behaviors over time. We have also asked a few new questions to further help us understand how the pandemic has shifted our actions and our viewpoints. The results of these survey questions can be found at the links below, and we will continue to update this page with new information as time goes on. December 2021 Americans are experiencing the holiday season during a pandemic yet again, but IFIC’s 2021 COVID-19 and the Holidays Survey shows that our plans and behaviors aren’t exactly the same as they were one year ago. Nearly three in ten – 29%, say that they plan to attend a gathering with only fully vaccinated friends or family, while 15% say that they plan to attend a gathering with no COVID-related restrictions. Despite variations in holiday plans, the majority say they are most excited about eating with friends or family (47% ranked in their top two responses) and eating homecooked or traditional meals, reported by 46% of survey respondents. Nearly one-quarter (24%) rank family tradition and/or familiarity as the most important factor in deciding what to eat and drink during the holidays; this factor tied with taste for the top spot and taking priority over other aspects like price, healthfulness and convenience. For many, the anticipation of the holiday […]

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IFIC Spotlight Survey: 2020 Year-End Survey: Consumer Insights From A Year Like No Other, Plus A Look To The Year Ahead

Highlights We’ve almost reached the end of 2020—twelve months that have been more challenging than we ever could have predicted, defined by the upheaval of many aspects of our lives. As we mark the end of this consequential year, IFIC has conducted a survey on what we know best: the world of food. In this research we learned more about how COVID-19 has shifted peoples’ eating, drinking and cooking habits; what diet trends were on our minds in 2020; how holiday plans have changed; and what we’re looking forward to and concerned about in the year ahead. The full report is linked above; here are a few key findings: METHODOLOGY   One thousand online interviews were conducted among U.S. adults ages 18+ from December 3–5, 2020, and were weighted to ensure proportional results. The margin of error was ±3.1% at the 95% confidence level.     IFIC has been tracking the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on food purchasing, eating behaviors and perceptions of food safety since April 2020. To learn more about these findings, click on the following links:  

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