Washington, D.C. - United Fresh Produce Association, through its Research & Education Foundation, unveiled new research today that measures how political, social and environmental issues affect produce shoppers’ opinions and purchasing behavior. United Fresh Issues Scan 2008, a new annual research report, creates a baseline understanding of issues related to food safety, sustainability, product origin and more. Issues Scan 2008 is generously sponsored by 3M Microbiology and BASF.

Issues Scan 2008 looks at U.S. consumer attitudes and behaviors in five major areas that have garnered significant media coverage in recent years. Each of these areas is explored throughout the report: Food Safety; Environmental and Social Issues; Product Origin; Comparison of Different Forms of Fruits and Vegetables; and Impact of Issues on Purchase Intent and Desire for Information. Subsequent research will provide annual trend tracking data on these core issues and show how changing consumer attitudes are likely to affect future purchasing behavior.

"With so much public focus on food safety, environmental issues and sustainability, our members have asked us how these issues are likely to affect the marketplace for fresh produce," said United Fresh Chairman Tom Lovelace, McEntire Produce.  "Today’s buying decisions are increasingly influenced by a multitude of factors that this research will track to help companies understand how the issues are driving purchasing habits."

Research for Issues Scan 2008 was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of United Fresh.  The initial research was conducted in March 2008, however due to the significant publicity surrounding the Salmonella outbreak earlier this year, the publication was put on hold until follow-up research could be done. Following the outbreak, ten food safety related questions from the initial research were used in a survey conducted in late August, 2008. Comparisons of the data from March to August are included in the addendum of the report.

Issues Scan 2008 is now available for purchase at the United Fresh website.  United Fresh members can purchase a copy for $125 and non-members for $195. 

In addition to the printed report, United Fresh can make detailed cross-reference data available to interested organizations at a relatively low fee. For example, commodity groups may want to know what consumers said about a specific commodity in more detail, looking at regional, gender, purchasing volume, and other demographic fields. Similarly, a company importing produce from a country in which significant product origin concerns were expressed, may want to examine these consumers in like detail.  

For questions about Issues Scan or for additional information, contact United Fresh Senior Vice President, Member Services Victoria Backer at 202-303-3408, or vbacker@unitedfresh.org.

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About United Fresh Research & Education Foundation
The United Fresh Research & Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that offers specialized programs and research to promote knowledge, leadership and growth in the produce industry. The Foundation is an affiliate organization of the United Fresh Produce Association.  Founded in 1904, United Fresh represents the interests of member companies from small family businesses to the largest international corporations throughout the global fresh produce supply chain, including growers, shippers, fresh-cut processors, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, foodservice operators, industry suppliers and allied associations.  For more information, visit www.unitedfresh.org.

About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research.  With a long and rich history in multimodal research that is powered by our science and technology, we assist clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive serves clients globally through our North American, European and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

Chapter 1: Food Safety examines consumer perceptions about the safety of fresh produce and the impact on shopping behaviors.  It further explores how concerns about safety have changed over the past year, exposes concerns about specific produce items, and identifies who consumers trust the most to ensure the safety of fresh produce.

Chapter 2: Environmental and Social Issues offers a deeper view into the impact of increasing environmental and social consciousness, such as recycled packaging and worker welfare, on the fresh produce marketplace. 

Chapter 3: Product Origin looks at the various aspects of product origin, including country-specific issues and the growing consumer interest in locally grown.

Chapter 4: Comparison of Different Forms of Fruits and Vegetables provides insights into how consumers evaluate differences in various forms of fruits and vegetables, including whole and pre-packaged produce items, and fresh produce compared to canned or frozen.

Chapter 5: Impact of Issues on Purchase Intent and Desire for Information examines how issues from the earlier chapters (food safety, environment, product origin) compare to each other as well as traditional attributes such as quality and price, and how they all rank in overall impact on purchase intent.

For questions about Issues Scan or for additional information, contact United Fresh Senior Vice President, Member Services Victoria Backer at 202-303-3408, vbacker@unitedfresh.org. 

The United Fresh Issues Scan was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of United Fresh Produce Association between March 24th and 31^st, 2008 among 883 adult produce shoppers.  The follow-up research due to the Salmonella outbreak was conducted between August 25^th and 29^th, 2008.  Sufficient screening questions were included to approximate a similar, although not identical, responder audience of consumers, thus providing relevant, though not direct, comparisons to earlier data. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available.