Cosun news

04/08/2003

What you don’t know can’t hurt you?

Consumers don’t want to know how food is produced. They would rather believe in unspoiled pastures and cows frisking in the meadows. Do you agree? Images of sheds being cleared of poultry, pigs and cattle are transmitted into our living rooms. Newspapers carry reports about dioxin. Shocking news stories, which evoke disturbing questions. What do we really know about where our food comes from and what it contains? What do the ‘E’ numbers on the label mean? Does the average consumer want to know the answers to these questions? Do we want to make the effort - or pay the money - to find out? The food chain is changing. The focus is shifting towards sustainable production, traceability and information. The government is tightening the Consumer Goods Act and environmental regulations. Information campaigns about food and eating patterns are the order of the day, as are environmental reports and quality marks. Perhaps the information is not clear enough. The claim ‘No added sugar’ on a product does not mean that it contains no sugar. That sort of information is in the nutrition information table, but how many consumers take the trouble to look at it? Do consumers expect too much of the food sector? An apple has to be perfectly round and red, otherwise we don’t want it. And anyone who has ever ordered a basket filled with organically farmed vegetables will have realised that asparagus is not a winter vegetable in the Netherlands. And yet, many of us want to eat more healthily. Of course, healthier does not necessarily mean organic, but a product can only carry the ‘organic’ quality mark if it satisfies strict requirements with regard to aspects such as herbicides, fodder and fertilizers. Consumers therefore know that ‘organic’ stands for ‘controlled origin’. The Hoofdbedrijfschap Detailhandel [trade council for the retail trade] reported that sales of organically grown products in supermarkets and natural food shops stagnated in 2002. The market share of organic products is just over 1 percent in the Netherlands. Compared with Germany and the USA, the range of organic products in the supermarket is limited. But above all, eating also stands for enjoyment, irrespective of whether the food is chosen intelligently or in (blissful) ignorance. Tell us what you think at opinion on the home page of this news site. <<< back