02 Jan 2008


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'Organic' jargon is confusing consumers

Organic

Whole Earth Foods

Research carried out by organic food manufacturer Whole Earth Foods has revealed 61% of shoppers are turning their back on organic food products because of complex jargon.

'Organic' was one of the words singled out by consumers as particularly baffling, with 23% knowing it is healthier in some way, but unsure of the details, and 13% of consumers confused about the difference between organic and air miles.

Other words which puzzled the 1,000 consumers surveyed by Whole Earth Foods included 'macrobiotic', 'sustainable' and 'genetically modified'.

“Our research shows that shoppers are desperate for the benefits of organic food to be made clearer – 44% think that organic suppliers should regulate their labelling so it's much clearer what the benefits are,” said Michelle Constantinou, senior brand manager at Whole Earth.

Whole Earth hopes to go some way to unmuddling the organic message with a 'jargon buster' available on its website, which provides a number of key definitions.

“Shoppers feel as though they're being duped by snazzy words and fancy terminology, and also that they're being forced to pay more money for what is fundamentally no different to non-organic food,” commented Craig Sams, founder of Whole Earth.

“Ultimately this is detrimental to the organic market – and with a net worth of £2bn, organic companies need to shape up.”

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