New research commissioned by Red Tractor reveals that 94% of UK consumers trust food produced in the UK, more than other countries around the world.
Published as concern grows over the potential for increased imports as a result of trade deals, the survey showed nine in ten people (90%) want to see more food produced in the UK. Just around a third of people said they trust food produced in the US (33%) and India (31%) – a steep decline from the Index’s 2023 findings of 74% and 62% respectively.
Many people believe these countries have lower animal welfare standards than the UK. Nearly three out of five Brits (57%) believe the US has lower standards than our own, potentially causing concern about products entering the UK market – up from 46% in 2023.
The higher level of trust in food is due to a number of factors, with rising confidence across all aspects of UK food production and assurance: –
- 90% of adults now believe that food produced in the UK is safe [2024: 83%, 2023: 72%],
- 88% say it is good quality [2024: 81%, 2023: 73%]
- 86% are confident that UK food is traceable through the supply chain [2024: 86%, 2023: 64%].
The UK’s record on animal welfare is another key driver of this trust, with more than four in five people (83%) recognising the UK’s high animal welfare standards as the reason to trust homegrown food.
Britain’s farmers are the trusted guardians of our weekly shop with 88% of consumers having trust in them, followed closely by assurance schemes (79%).
When asked about which group is the most responsible for ensuring food is safe and good quality in the UK, food assurance and inspection schemes came out top, followed by the government and farmers.
The findings, which draw on research from over 2,000 UK consumers, form part of Red Tractor’s annual “Trust in Food Index”, first produced in 2021 and designed to provide the most comprehensive assessment of British consumer attitudes to food.
For British shoppers, if they are going to buy imported food, closer to home is better. Ireland is the most trusted country outside the UK to produce beef, chicken, pork and dairy products. Ireland’s animal welfare standards are considered very close to the UK’s.
World leading standards
Alistair Mackintosh, chair of Red Tractor, said: “The world leading standards to which British farmers operate sets us apart from our international competitors.
“It’s this dedication to quality, safety and animal welfare that underpins the trust consumers place in British food — and it’s something our farmers continue to earn every day through their hard work and high standards. The results from the survey highlight the value that UK shoppers place in trusting UK-produced food.
“As discussions continue around opening the UK market to US beef imports, we must be clear: our priority should be championing British produce — reared to world-leading standards and independently assured through third-party assurance schemes like Red Tractor, reassuring shoppers that items have gone through rigorous checks before reaching the supermarket.”
“The UK Government must value and continue to defend British food standards and our farming industry by ensuring that any imports meet the same high bar. Alongside the NFU and our industry partners, I am clear that the best way consumers can support British farmers and food is to look for the Red Tractor logo.”
A new Red Tractor consumer marketing campaign, planned for later in the year, will also celebrate the milestone.
What shoppers said:
- “We don’t support our own Farmers enough”
- “Farmers are being undercut by imported goods”
- “Too many cheap imports from countries that don’t have the same safeguards for crops or animals we do here.”