Organic Food Purchased by 58% of America
Hunger for Healthy Options

PRNewswire 10dec02

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Gone are the days when organic foods were just for a small group of health fanatics. Today, nearly every American is not only familiar with organic products, but 58% of the public has purchased a food item labeled organic, according to a recent eBrain Market Research Online Poll.

"It seems that increased awareness of health issues and concerns about genetically modified food and chemicals are driving interest in organic foods," said Tim Herbert, Director of Research for eBrain. "The majority, or 63%, have purchased organics due to health or safety concerns and most respondents believe organic foods are healthier, more wholesome and free of chemicals."

It's a trend with momentum; 32% said it was somewhat or very important that their food is organic and 67% believe that organic food will become more common in the future. Availability is increasing as well, with 62% of consumers purchasing organic products from their local grocer or a traditional supermarket chain, 29% citing a farmers market as the source, while 21% bought organics at a specialty grocer such as Whole Foods Market.

"But the fact that 14% of respondents bought organic items at the local Wal-Mart or Target supercenter, serves to reinforce the fact that organic foods play a role in everyday American households," said Herbert. "However, price is still an issue for people and the more costly nature of organics certainly keeps them from being purchased more frequently." Twenty percent of the population said they would pay approximately 20% more for organic foods but 67% said that price was a barrier to purchasing these products. "Clearly people are concerned about food safety and see organic foods as a safer alternative," Herbert said. "But the higher costs associated with these products often price them out of reach for many consumers."

The eBrain Online Poll was fielded via a web-based survey to a national sample of 1,000 U.S. households during the week of November 4, 2002. The results are representative of the online population. The eBrain Online Poll is a multi-client survey that provides an inexpensive, quick means to gauge consumers' opinions. Contact eBrain for more information about fielding questions in future polls.