The closer to nature, the better. Consumers in developed countries often prefer food that corresponds to their notion of naturalness. (Image: Colourbox)
'Naturalness' is a construct - but according to a new study from the ETH Consumer Behavior group, a product's success on the food market is primarily defined by whether or not consumers perceive it as natural. The increasingly artificial and virtual nature of everyday life has now achieved broad acceptance, and the benefits that technological development bring to everyone cannot be denied. But when it comes to groceries, the trend is in fact the opposite: consumers are more and more sensitive on the subject of food. In Switzerland, the fear that food could contain foreign substances or be misleadingly or falsely labelled is currently causing an uptick in complaints to the Foundation for Consumer Protection and putting a strain on the laboratories responsible for federal monitoring of foodstuffs. The authenticity of the food on our plates plays a key role in acceptance and perceptions of quality. This is also the conclusion drawn by a broad-based review study by ETH Professor for Consumer Behavior Michael Siegrist. Together with Spanish colleagues, he recently published the study in the journal Trends in Food Science & Technology.
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