A Michigan State University study found the majority of consumers look for labels that signify products they’re buying were inspected for safety, and that about a third are willing to pay more for such labeling.

From a press release on PRWeb:

In addition to indicating a high sensitivity to food safety issues, US consumers say they want to see evidence on product labels that the food they are buying has passed some kind of independent safety certification process. Moreover, slightly more than one third of consumers indicate a willingness to pay a premium, upwards of 30 percent more.

“It is interesting and important to note that higher price alone is not a direct signal of safer food,” says Dr. Chris Peterson, director of the Product Center at MSU. “Even brand name recognition is not the most powerful indicator of safety. Voluntary third party certification compares favorably with mandatory government inspection and slightly ahead of traceability labeling in the mind of the consumer. In fact, most consumers would advise the food industry to invest proportionately more in certification programs than in government inspection or traceability.”

How about it, Consumerists — which signage do you pay more attention to, a certification label or the price tag?

DNV and Michigan State University Release Initial Findings of U.S. Food Safety Survey [PRWeb]
(Thanks, NORMLgirl!)

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