Almost nine out of ten people in the UK do not trust foreign food chains, with just 12% of people having confidence in the European food chain and 7% in global food suppliers, according to new research.
The NFU Mutual Food Fraud Report 2017, published today (7th September), also reveals that almost three quarters (72%) think there is an issue with food fraud in the UK, with over a quarter also believing that they have personally experienced it (27%).
Hearing about high profile cases of fraudulent food in the media, such as the horse meat scandal in 2013, is the most common cause of reduced confidence in nearly half of consumers (46%).
In July, police dismantled an organised crime group trading horsemeat in Europe that was unfit for human consumption. Over 60 people were arrested in the Europe-wide investigation.
The recent mass egg recall due to poison fears also caused shoppers to question the origin of their food purchases.
The report goes on to state that takeaways are the outlet that UK consumers are least trusting of, receiving 42% of the vote followed by online (21%) and convenience stores (16%). The least trusted product types are processed foods (35%), red meat (18%) and supplements (15%).
One third of consumers (33%) are less trusting of products and retailers than they were five years ago, compared with only 9% whose trust has increased.
A further 33% believe that food crime is likely to increase in the future.
'Tough scrutiny'
Commenting on the report, Frank Woods, Retail Sector Specialist at NFU Mutual, said leaving the EU provides an "important time" for tackling food fraud and getting regulation right.
He said: “Government proposals for where we will get our food from are already under tough scrutiny from industry and consumers alike with concerns over skilled workers and quality.
“Producers are under immense pressure to offset price rises caused by the weakened value of sterling and higher import costs, squeezing already tight budgets and resources and potentially cornering them into using cheaper global suppliers that may be more vulnerable to fraud.”
The UK food and drink industry could be losing up to £12bn annually to fraud, entering the food chain through means including falsified or inaccurate documentation, and redirection of waste products back into the supply chain or re-dating of stock.
The British farming industry has seen today's report as a sign that consumers are opting to buy British more than ever, due to its reputation for trustworthiness and safety.
Mr Woods continued: “Our research exposes the damaging effect that various influencers have had on consumer confidence over time.
“Much of the industry is addressing this by changing its supply strategy and supporting British produce - likely to be popular with a majority of consumers who want to support local businesses on home soil as shown in our research.
“How British farmers, producers, retailers and caterers will be supported and enabled to deliver the quantity of food required and improve consumer confidence remains to be seen.”
'Field to fork'
The Food Fraud report, which is designed to understand challenges facing businesses working across the ‘field to fork’ supply chain, explores attitudes and influencers of trust, perceived blame, impact upon behaviour and awareness of food crime.
The report includes viewpoints and advice from major industry bodies including the British Retail Consortium, Food and Drink Federation, British Hospitality Association and National Farmers Retail & Markets Association.
The report also found that over two thirds of people (70%) regularly take measures to ensure their food is legitimate and 17% avoid certain foods altogether that they believe could be susceptible to fraud.
Almost four out of five respondents though (77%) said that they would not know how to spot a counterfeit product.
The Soil Association is hoping to change this. Consumers can now scan their produce to find out exactly where it's come from, thanks to their new pilot scheme aiming to highlight food transparency.
