British consumers are starting to lose faith in the quality of food sold by UK supermarkets as they adapt their purchasing habits to cope with the highest inflation in 40 years. Trust in supermarkets fell 20% over the past year, and almost a quarter of shoppers say they are buying lower-quality products to feed their families. About 30% of shoppers are buying less meat and 13% are buying less fruit and vegetables.
The cost-of-living crisis is weighing on consumers, who are shopping more at discounters and shifting to store brands to save pennies. The war in Ukraine has limited supplies of everything from sunflower oil to wheat, forcing supermarkets to use replacements like palm oil in their products. Record-breaking temperatures may further complicate food supplies.
The Trust in Food Index, commissioned by Red Tractor and polling firm YouGov, surveyed more than 35,000 adults from across the UK.
Source: bnnbloomberg.ca