Trust in food authorities such as the government and regulators has fallen since the pandemic, while trust in farmers has increased, according to researchers.
Nearly a third (30%) of consumers reported a decrease in their trust of food authorities since the pandemic, while only 10% reported an increase.
Researchers from the University of Reading used data collected from 23,000 consumers from all over Europe.
The survey included 1,114 consumers in the UK. Over a quarter (26%) of people reported a decrease of trust in authorities while only 12% reported an increase.
For trust in farmers, 15% reported an increase in trust, while only 8% reported a decrease.
It has been some years since major food scandals such as the horse meat scandal in 2012, and earlier issues, such as Salmonella and BSE.
This time, researchers say there’s no clear reason for distrusting food authorities, and that it is a matter of wide distrust of authorities more generally.
Professor Richard Bennett, who led the research, said the results of the survey were 'significant'.
"Something occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic that has eroded trust in food authorities – the numbers show us that, very clearly.
“It’s not that easy to speculate on the reasons, but suffice to say that following a huge challenge, such as Covid-19, societal opinion can make major shifts.
"And if a pandemic, or cost of living crisis is perceived to be handled badly by authorities, then that can reduce trust in authorities across the board."
At the same time, trust in farmers has increased slightly. Professor Bennett said: “Farmers tended to be the most trusted in food supply chains.
"They are seen as honest and hard working, battling against the weather, pests and diseases to produce our food.”
