One in five think ‘organic’ means ‘low fat’

July 29, 2010 - PRLog -- The latest research from www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, the UK’s leading discount and voucher code website, has revealed the common misconceptions of Brits when it comes to food produce. One in five people claimed that they believed ‘organic’ food meant the product was low in fat; whilst just under a quarter, 23% admitted they were unsure of what the term meant altogether.

Furthermore, the study also looked into how informed Brits are when it comes to the nutritional content of the food they eat. Whilst just over two fifths, 42% claimed to regularly check the nutritional label of every food product they consume, when provided; one in ten, 11%, admitted to being unaware of where to find such information. Of these, 46% thought that the internet would be the only place to source such nutritional content.

The study was commissioned by MyVoucherCodes.co.uk in order to explore the relationship between Brits and their groceries, given that the site features numerous discount codes for nationwide supermarket chains online.

A sample of 1,662 people were subsequently polled, and asked questions surrounding their knowledge of food produce.

When asked to answer the question, “What do you think the term ‘organic’ means in terms of food produce?” the top five results from respondents were as follows:

1)    Unsure– 23%
2)    ‘Low Fat’- 19%
3)    ‘Free from synthetic chemicals’- 17%
4)    ‘Healthy’ – 14%
5)    ‘Expensive’ – 12%

When subsequently asked if they regularly bought organic produce, only a quarter, 26%, of those polled claimed to do so; whilst 51% of those who responded ‘no’ explained that the produce was ‘too expensive’ to buy. 6% of people believed that organic produce was only available at health food stores, whilst just under 1 in 10, 9%, thought that ‘organic produce’ referred solely to fruit and vegetables.

Respondents were also asked questions surrounding their purchase of diet foodstuffs. 72% of those polled claimed to regularly buy diet food, three quarters of whom claimed they did so in order to lose weight. Of these, 23% admitted to buying ‘low/reduced sugar’ food as a means of weight loss; whilst 15% claimed to buy organic produce for the same reason.

Mark Pearson, Managing Director of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, commented on the findings:
“The organic message has clearly been misinterpreted by a large number of the British public, many of whom seem to regard it as a diet or health food. Whilst many can argue the health benefits of organic produce, people need to be aware of its chief purpose as a product free from synthetic growth and preservation chemicals; providing a more ‘natural’ food alternative.

“Perhaps supermarkets need to ensure that people are getting the right message when it comes to food, clearly stating on packaging what exactly ‘organic’ means in terms of the product it represents. Whilst organic can be healthier from a chemical point of view, this doesn’t equate to weight loss. The same can be said for ‘low sugar’ foods too; as whilst products may be able to cut down their sugar content, this doesn’t automatically mean that fat and calories follow suit!”

ENDS

LINK: http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk  

For further information please contact Emma Kent, of 10 Yetis Public Relations Agency on 01452 348 211, emmak@10yetis.co.uk or on Twitter @emmalouisekent

EDITORS NOTES:

Mark Pearson, MD of MyVoucherCodes is a regular media contributor regarding online shopping and the credit crunch. At 29, his personal worth is more than £30 million. Mark was previously a trainee chef working for Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, London.
MyVoucherCodes has had sales exceeding £481m in the last year
Consumer savings on online shopping via MyVoucherCodes.co.uk up from £28m in 2008 to £52m in 2009.

MyVoucherCodes is the UK’s most popular discount site.