FDBusiness.com

According to Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive of IGD, the food and consumer goods industry has never been under more scrutiny and that we need a revolution in transparency and traceability to build trust to higher levels than before the horsemeat contamination incident earlier this year.

“Trust has been picking up since horsemeat, but we’re under more scrutiny than ever,” she says. “It’s vital that we now lead a revolution in transparency and traceability. It won’t be easy and it will take time, but it’s the biggest opportunity of a generation.”

IGD ShopperVista research shows that 56% of shoppers – up from 34% in 2011 – want to know more about where their food comes from. Currently only 12% feel they know “quite a lot” about the origin of their food.

Joanne Denney-Finch continues: “We have a great opportunity to close that gap. And people’s expectations are already high. Eight in ten shoppers believe that food and grocery companies should know where every single ingredient comes from.”

She says that traceability and transparency shouldn’t be seen as overheads, but rather as an investment: “Whenever we’re transparent it shows that we are confident. As we should be – what we sell has never been safer, more reliable, better quality or better value. I’ve visited hundreds of farms, factories, distribution centres and stores around the world, so I know first-hand. The people and companies with integrity will prevail.”