A partnership between leading life science company Bayer and the NZ Nutrition Foundation (NZNF) released the insights from its inaugural Bayer Food Focus Project, taking a look into Kiwis’ eating behaviors and food consumption.
The project consisted of two key parts: the first Australasian pilot study conducted by Auckland University of Technology (AUT), using the new Veggie Meter device to establish a benchmark of Kiwis’ vegetable and fruit consumption via a fingertip scan; and an online questionnaire with 1,346 adult respondents to understand which foods New Zealanders are most commonly consuming and why.
Findings from the survey indicate that respondents identified the amount of plastic packaging as their top concern when making decisions to purchase food and beverages, with 42 percent rating it as extremely or very important. However, figures dropped substantially when respondents were asked about environmental sustainability.
Only 27 percent identified that knowing their food was produced in an environmentally sustainable way (including organic) was extremely or very important. Furthermore, only 21 percent found the use of modern farming techniques to be extremely or very important when making purchasing decisions.
Collectively, 30 percent of respondents stated that they currently are or have been in the last 12 months vegetarian or vegan with a further eight percent stating that they have followed a flexitarian diet in the same period. This was higher among younger people (those aged 15-34) with 43 percent having been vegetarian or vegan in the last 12 months and 13 percent having followed a flexitarian diet.
Interestingly, findings also highlighted that older participants were less likely to rank environmental sustainability as an important factor when making decisions around food. Forty five percent of people aged 15-34 years stated that food being produced in an environmentally sustainable way was either very or extremely important to them, compared to only 29 percent of those aged 55 years or more.
To read the full report, click here.
For more information: 
Bayer New Zealand
Tel: +64 (0) 9 443 3093
www.bayer.com.au