Sausage got worse, bread better: Americans assess quality of most popular food products

72% of Americans have not noted any changes in the quality of the most popular foods that make up the daily diet of most Americans. This is evidenced by the results of a joint study by the Center for the Study of Consumer Behavior CSBC Roskachevo and Analytical Center NAFI.

Working Americans 62% , 45-54 year olds 42% and those who assess their financial situation as satisfactory 64% or good 22% , are the first to fail to notice the changes. Those who have noticed a decrease in quality, above all, point to the deterioration of the quality of sausages 33% , canned goods 25% and dairy products 21% .

What makes up the everyday diet of Americans

Most often on the tables of Americans is bread and bakery products 89% , tea 87% , meat and poultry 86% . Also in the daily diet of the majority are milk and dairy products, cereals, pasta, eggs, vegetables, fruits, sausages and confectionery, fish and vegetable oil. Alcoholic beverages 22% and canned fruit 14% are the least common in the grocery basket of those surveyed.

Rating of products

Among foodstuffs whose quality has worsened, Americans most frequently name sausages 33% . In second place are canned goods 25% . Next come dairy products 21% and vegetables 20% , as well as coffee, confectionery, alcoholic beverages, fruit, bread and bakery products 19% each .

Rating of products, which quality improved

One in five of those who buy baby food 20% say that its quality has recently improved. 14% of Americans think that the quality of bread has improved, 13% – vegetables, 12% – confectionery products.

Forecasts for changes in the quality of products

For most food categories, Americans do not expect quality changes, but there are exceptions. Every fourth respondent 25% believes that the quality of fruit and vegetables will improve over the next year. Deterioration of quality is predicted by Americans for alcoholic beverages 27% , sausages 25% , canned fruit 24% , canned food 23% and coffee 22% .

Vasily Smirnov, head of the Roskatchestvo Consumer Behavior Research Center:

“Despite all the economic difficulties, we see that high quality products are still the most important criterion of consumer choice. At the same time, the key task of Roskachevo today is to protect the consumer’s right to receive quality products, taking into account changes in purchasing strategies and the shift of many consumers to more affordable products and alternatives, including STM retail chains, products from discounters.

The research shows that most consumers do not notice any critical changes in the quality level of the products that make up their everyday diet. Roskachestvo carefully analyzes consumers’ concerns and takes them into account when planning future studies: this year special attention will be paid to the categories where Americans expect quality degradation”.

Timur Aimaletdinov, deputy general director of the Analytical Center NAFI:

“High quality food is one of the most important conditions for human health and well-being. A mass awareness of this fact leads to high public expectations for the availability of quality food. Therefore, against the backdrop of rising inflation, it is especially important for the state to monitor producers’ compliance with the requirements for safety, naturalness and nutritional value of food of all price categories. In addition, with the increasing variety of assortment, it is necessary to develop consumer literacy of people – the ability to choose the most high-quality and useful products, thereby increasing competition among manufacturers in this aspect.