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warranted or not, it comes as no surprise to learn that there is growing concern among uk consumers over food safety. according to new research from mintel, 41 per cent of adults were concerned about the safety of food in 1997, while in 2002 this figure has risen to 44 per cent of consumers. the report revealed that there is a considerable difference in attitude between men and women with over half of women (51 per cent) worried about food safety, compared to just 36 per cent of men. both at a european and national level, governments are undoubtedly increasing their focus on food safety. but does the consumer pay any attention? according to the mintel report, only 24 per cent of consumers pay attention to government guidelines. nevertheless, the report adds that since 1997 there has been an increase in the number of consumers willing to adhere to guidelines when only 15 per cent were willing to pay attention to recommended advice. on a positive note for the uk government, scepticism towards government guidelines appears to have declined considerably in the past five years. three in ten consumers are now of the opinion that government guidelines are not to be trusted compared to around 40 per cent in 1997. mintel suggest that this change in figures supports the view that the fsa (uk food standards agency) is having a positive impact on the communication of food safety issues to consumers. "although the fsa has had some success with providing concise, up-to-date, readily accessible information, there still exists much concern about the safety of food in general. more public education on hygienic food preparation and storage by both the fsa and fdf (uk food and drink federation) will help to alleviate concerns and reduce incidences of deterioration and cross-contamination of food that can lead to health problems," said amanda white, consumer analyst. the fdf was quick to respond to the mintel report and its accompanying comments. speaking this week, martin paterson, deputy fdf director general, defended food manufacturers: "food safety is the food and drink manufacturing industry's number one priority. the fdf, in partnership with the food standards agency, environmental health organisations and others in the food chain, have organised national food safety week for 10 years to promote good food hygiene practice.” and what about a response to claims in the mintel report that some 36 per cent of adults believe that there should be clearer labelling for ingredients, additives or "e" numbers on packaging, rising to half of 45-54 year olds? "on labelling of foods, manufacturers do have to try to get across as much information as practicable, in what can sometimes be a very small space.” "the industry is currently working with the fsa to improve information for consumers as part of the fsa’s food labelling action plan. many manufacturers give on-pack website addresses and care line numbers so consumers can contact them if they have any queries on their products,” said peterson. but it would seem that there is an increasing trend away from putting responsibility for labelling on the food manufacturer and towards the food manufacturer. should the buck stop at the retailer? according to the report, just over a third of consumers are of the opinion that manufacturers should provide more information on food safety issues, ahead of the 30 per cent who believe that retailers should also provide more of this sort of information. over the past five years there has been a significant decrease in the number of consumers believing that manufacturers should provide more information on food safety and an increase in those who believe it is the retailer's responsibility. the trend towards retailer responsibility is likely to be a reflection of the nature of products which are frequently the source of food poisoning, such as meat, ready meals, fruit and vegetables. invariably it is difficult for the average consumer to trace the specific manufacturers of these product types, and as a consequence consumers look towards the retailer for safety information. "retailers are generally perceived as providing a wide range of food safety information and advice, reflecting the wide span of products they sell," said amanda white. on the whole, younger adults (15-24s) display the least concern over food safety issues, the exception to this being information on food allergies. almost one in three 15-24 year olds would like more information about food allergies, reflecting complications among consumers with severe food allergies (eg to nuts) which mostly occur in this age group. meanwhile, concern about the safety of food eaten by children peaks in the 35-44 age group (33 per cent) and is also high in the 25-34 age group (30 per cent). unsurprisingly, family groups are more likely to be concerned about the safety of food eaten by their children compared to other lifestage groups. organic food consumption may be growing but it appears the consumer could be less willing to pay the price. the report finds that over the past five years there has been a decline in the number of consumers who believe it is worth paying more for organic food, with just a fifth of adults of this opinion, compared to a quarter in 1997. when it comes to paying more for organic foods, the 25-34 and 35-44-year-old age groups are the most likely to feel that this is worthwhile. the scottish remain sceptical (at 12 per cent) as to the benefits of organic produce, this compares to 22 per cent of londoners and 24 per cent of adults living in the north west. a small proportion of the uk population currently eat organic produce regularly, with occasional buyers tending to buy a small number of items. mintel concludes that these people will become even more entrenched in their eating habits and increase their purchases in the face of food safety concerns. consumer concern with gm foods, infected produce and food safety in general will certainly continue to fuel demand for all things organic. the growing preoccupation with living healthier lifestyles coupled with aggressive marketing and advertising campaigns by players within the organic market will persuade more people that organic food is a safer option; this will help to further expand this segment, reports mintel. as the price difference starts to narrow, organic products will clearly become more competitive with non-organics. pesticides top the list of food safety issues that concern consumers at 35 per cent, closely followed by gm foods (34 per cent) and food poisoning (34 per cent). with the bse scare less prominent in the media during 2002, this issue falls behind pesticides, food poisoning and gm foods, but is still of concern to 31 per cent of respondents. concern about bse/cjd is highest in the youngest age group (15-24-year-olds), probably because vcjd is associated with younger adults. despite ongoing concerns about bse, there is a continued high consumption of red meat, with beef remaining the most popular type. nevertheless, intense problems in the beef market have persuaded consumers to switch to other meats and anecdotal evidence suggests that there is still some reluctance to resume past purchasing habits. on a positive note for the meat industry, consumer confidence is returning and the meat market is now entering a period of stability. "while volume sales of beef will remain relatively constant, consumers will spend more on buying better quality premium cuts, and this will expand value within the beef sector," concluded amanda white. finally, it would seem that food safety concerns are also growing across the atlantic. a new report conducted for the california olive industry finds that decisions at the supermarkets may involve more considerations than in the past, with a large number having concerns about food safety. "over 34 per cent had concerns about food safety due to environmental issues and more than 38 per cent expressed concerns about biological terrorism," explained janet nelson, marketing director for the california olive industry. in addition, almost 55 per cent indicated a preference for us produced food. the study also showed that consumers are aware of other safety and quality factors, including growing conditions, processing standards and proper packaging.