- Shoppers who are unconcerned about whether food is fattening, genetically modified or additive-free are more likely to buy foods originating from China, new research shows.
A year-long Roy Morgan survey of nearly 16,000 consumers over the age of 14 found that 88 per cent of Australians were more likely to buy food labelled “Made in Australia”, an increase of three percentage points in the past two years.
It also found those who preferred ‘Made in China’ rose one percentage point to 6 per cent in the same period.
“Among the small percentage of Australians who are more likely to buy food if it’s labelled ‘Made in China’, certain attitudes towards food stand out,” said Michele Levine, chief executive of Roy Morgan Research.
“These same attitudes, from ‘I often buy takeaway food to eat at home’ to ‘I avoid dairy foods wherever possible’, are also more widespread among Aussies aged under 35 than those aged 35 and older.”
The research, conducted in 2014 before the national hepatitis A outbreak linked to China and Chile-sourced frozen berries, showed those who opted for “Made in China” are also more likely to buy frozen or chilled ready-made meals, takeaway food and avoid dairy products where possible.
They are also indifferent to health claims that food is free of genetically modified ingredients or additives and low in fat.
“It will be interesting to see whether attitudes to Chinese-manufactured food products shift in the wake of the recent hepatitis scare caused by frozen berries imported from China,” she said.
“Certainly, the call for clearer country-of-origin food labelling has never been more relevant.”
On Tuesday, the body behind the green-and-gold “Australian Made, Australian Grown” logo welcomed the federal government’s decision to begin consulting stakeholders on its country-of-origin labelling reforms.
After the hepatitis A outbreak, Prime Minister Tony Abbott charged a ministerial taskforce to deliver a reform proposal to cabinet by the end of March. It is believed the taskforce, which includes Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce and Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane, will deliver further recommendations in August.
“[We] applaud the ministers for agriculture and industry making country-of-origin branding a priority and look forward to working closely with the government on the introduction of the new system,” said Ian Harrison, chief executive of the Australian Made Campaign.
“A tighter system for food labelling, coupled with a better understanding of that system by consumers, will give Aussie shoppers more confidence in what they are purchasing,” Mr Harrison said.
Separate Roy Morgan research showed Australians who felt comfortable buying products such as cars and electrical goods manufactured in China tend to be younger.
Ms Levine said this pattern was most evident in food purchases. Consumers under the age of 35 were “dramatically” more likely than older generations to buy food if it is labelled ‘Made in China’.
However, she said it was worth remembering that even among those under the age of 35, food labelled Australian-made was far more popular overall.
“We’ve been aware for some time that younger Australians tend to be more open to buying products made in countries other than Australia. Growing up in the digital age, they are used to having the international marketplace at their fingertips, courtesy of online retailers,” she said.
“Products manufactured in China are often considerably cheaper than goods made in many other countries (including Australia) – an added incentive for young people who may still be studying or earning a low wage.”