Food poisoning ranks as top concern in FSANZ survey

A survey in Australia and New Zealand has found food poisoning was the most important food safety issue for consumers in 2024.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand’s (FSANZ) Consumer Insights Tracker in 2024 included 1,231 Australian and 884 New Zealand consumers over the age of 18. The survey consists of 42 questions that measure trust and confidence in the food system, use and understanding of food labeling, attitudes and consumption intentions around new and emerging foods, and food safety perceptions and behaviors.

The poll revealed 69 percent of consumers have confidence in the safety of the food supply in Australia and New Zealand. Famers and producers remained the most trusted parties while trust in food retailers and government/public food authorities declined.

A total of 54 percent said foodborne illness was the top food safety issue. However, less than half of consumers always perform certain food safety behaviors when preparing food at home. Washing hands and keeping cutting boards/knifes used for raw meats separate were the most common actions.

Consumers perceive raw meats and seafood to be the riskiest foods. However, only a minority think eggs are high risk, despite eggs being one of the most common sources of foodborne illness.

Half of consumers would like more information about how to store and prepare food safely, with product labels being the preferred source.

Slightly more than half of consumers have heard of FSANZ, and a quarter report knowing at least something about what the agency does. New Zealanders were more likely to be aware of FSANZ compared to Australians.

Cell-based food and recall data
While over half of consumers remain unsure about the safety of cell-cultured/cultivated meat and dairy, the average level of confidence in these products increased between 2023 and 2024. Awareness of cell-cultured meat and dairy remained steady, at 66 percent and 48 percent, respectively.

FSANZ recently permitted the use of cell-cultured quail as a food. Vow Group Pty sought approval to use cultured quail cells with other ingredients to make products such as logs, rolls, and patties. FSANZ concluded that the product was safe for human consumption. The quail cell line was found to be genetically stable, and microbiological risks can be managed through established food safety controls.

In total, 37 percent of participants remembered a food recall occurring in the past 12 months. This is down from 47 percent in 2023. FSANZ said this may reflect the lower number of recalls in 2023/2024 compared to 93 and two national incidents in 2022/2023.

FSANZ coordinated 95 food recalls in 2024, a 16 percent increase on 2023. Undeclared allergens remained the leading cause with 54 recalls, mostly because of labeling errors, with milk and gluten the most involved. Problems were mainly detected by consumer complaints and routine testing by the company.

Microbial contamination and foreign matter caused nine and 14 recalls respectively, as microbial alerts declined after rising in previous years. Mixed and processed foods were the most frequently recalled product category.

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