Six out of ten people in India go by the name of the manufacturer in purchasing a food item and believe that the maker is responsible for providing them with safe food, says a survey.
And nearly 73 per cent of those surveyed are confident in the safety of the food that they purchase from the local store, going by the Nielsen Global Online Survey.
Releasing the findings of the survey, the Nielsen Company said in a statement here that while 62 per cent of the respondents in India hold the manufacturer responsible for providing safe food, 30 per cent think the government has the responsibility, while eight per cent put the onus on retailer.
"Food contamination is a problem that Indians face every now and then," said Nielsen's Associate Director (Marketing Communications), South Asia Biswarup Banerjee.
Pointing to the involvement of too many middlemen in the food supply chain, he said it exposes the various fraudulent practices. Therefore, most of the Indians go by the name of manufacturer in purchasing a product, he added.
"The retailer is not seen as the prima donna, the manufacturer is," he said.
The survey also said that 97 per cent Indians consider safety of food an important factor in deciding where to shop.
On GM crop, the survey said 32 per cent people in India believe in safety of the crop, which is more than the global average of 18 per cent. The government has witheld permission for commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal, the first genetically modified crop in the country.
Whenever a food safety scare arises, 32 per cent of the people in India "trust" the government's version while 29 per cent listen to the food manufacturers. But as high as 26 per cent also trust the "media" while only 13 per cent believe in what retailers say.
The survey also said 53 per cent of the consumers will not eat food after expiry date, even if it looks and smells alright.
It said India along with Ukraine is the second most willing nation (85 per cent) to pay a premium for food that is safe, while Saudi Arabia and the Phillipines lead (86 per cent) in their willingness to pay a premium for safe food.
The survey was conducted between September 28 and October 16, 2009 in which over 30,500 consumers in 54 countries in Europe, Asia Pacific, North America and the Middle East had participated. The sample is weighted to be representative of internet consumers.
