Survey: Ingredient fears lead shoppers to simpler products, smaller retailers

Four in 10 consumers have lost enjoyment in the foods they eat due to safety and quality concerns, and many are seeking stores that offer product alternatives, show the findings of a Daymon Worldwide study.

“Not surprisingly, consumers are most concerned about ingredients that might case cancer, such as pesticides, fertilizers and unnecessary additives and preservatives,” said Janet Oak, Daymon Worldwide’s head of global advisory & custom shopper insights, in a statement.

Respondents are also concerned about high mercury levels, GMOs and dangerous bacteria.

“To avoid risk, consumers are much more likely to visit a grocery retailer or a farmers market than a mass merchandiser, and are even more willing to make things from scratch," Oak said.

More than half of respondents (53 percent) said that their heightened fears are driving greater demand for food and personal care products with fewer ingredients and stricter safety guidelines.

Personal care product consumers are specifically concerned about carcinogens, lead, pesticides and formaldehyde, which they believe may cause cancer, allergies or be harmful to healthy child development.

This piece originally appeared on supermarketnews.com, a New Hope 360 sister website. Visit the site for more grocery trends insights.