Taste, safety and price remained consumers’ most important values when purchasing food this month, according to Oklahoma State University’s April “Food Demand Survey” (FooDS). FooDS, a monthly online survey with a sample size of at least 1,000 individuals, tracks consumer preferences and sentiment on the safety, quality and price of food consumed at home and away from home, with a particular focus on meat demand.
The April report shows that consumers’ food values remained similar to those in past months, with slight decreases in perceived values of price and nutrition and increases in perceived values of fairness and convenience.
Similar to previous months, consumers reported that their main challenge was finding affordable foods that fit within their budget; the challenge experiencing the largest percentage increase was "finding foods my children will eat."
In April, 6.21% of participants reported having food poisoning, a 10% decrease from the previous month.