FH1117
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
FROM THE EDITOR<br />
THE NEED<br />
TO KNOW<br />
In recent years, restaurants have been forced to become all<br />
things to all people. To draw more customers in, operators<br />
have added new menu items, appealed to a wider net of customers<br />
and taken advantage of new technological advances<br />
(see Hospitality Market Report on p.26). Today, competition<br />
is tougher than ever and stealing market share has become the<br />
number-1 game in town.<br />
In many cases, the need to know has played a dominant<br />
role in the changing face of the landscape. Increasingly, customers<br />
want to know where their food comes from and who’s producing<br />
it. It’s all about provenance and transparency —<br />
whether we’re talking about meat, fish and seafood, or our<br />
vegetable supply.<br />
New research released by the Calgary-based Canadian Centre<br />
for Food Integrity (CCFI), studying consumer concerns and<br />
expectations surrounding food transparency and the overall food<br />
system, shows Canadians feel the food system is headed in the<br />
right direction, proven by an increase from 30 per cent in 2016 to<br />
43 per cent of Canadians this year.<br />
But while consumer confidence in food transparency is<br />
increasing, an equal number of Canadians (43 per cent) say they<br />
aren’t sure if the food system is on the right<br />
track, down from 50 per cent in 2016.<br />
The 2017 CCFI Public Trust Research study<br />
was undertaken in June 2017 and surveyed<br />
1,307 Canadians about top life concerns, specifically<br />
their level of concern, trust and transparency<br />
expectations related to food and how<br />
it’s grown. Those polled clearly identified food<br />
companies as the most responsible for providing<br />
information. Other food-system partners,<br />
including farmers, government, restaurants<br />
and grocery stores, also ranked high as being<br />
responsible for transparency.<br />
According to a release by the CCFI, the study<br />
reinforces that “Canadians are looking for credible<br />
information to make informed decisions<br />
about their food,” says Crystal Mackay, president,<br />
CCFI. “This research reinforces that everyone<br />
in the Canadian food system...should engage in<br />
conversations about food.”<br />
Consumers are hungry for information on food transparency and<br />
they’re scouring company websites to find third-party audits, track<br />
records and practices and policies that demonstrate a company’s values.<br />
The study found when reviewing these elements of transparency,<br />
accuracy was the most important attribute to Canadians.<br />
While many Canadians may be unsure about their food or<br />
how it’s grown, they clearly want to know more. And, for the second<br />
year in a row, Canadians ranked the rising cost of food and<br />
keeping healthy food affordable as their top two life concerns —<br />
above rising energy costs, healthcare and the economy.<br />
ROSANNA CAIRA rcaira@kostuchmedia.com<br />
@foodservicemag<br />
facebook.com/foodservicehospitalitymagazine<br />
instagram.com/rosannacaira<br />
NICK WONG, LOCATION PROVIDED BY VIA CIBO<br />
2 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY NOVEMBER 2017 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM