IFIC Survey Finds Answers to What Americans Consider When Shopping For Food

Taste, price and healthier foods and beverages get high marks during the International Food Information Council Foundation's annual 2011 Food & Health Survey. It isn't surprising that Americans are more conscious of the price they pay for food, but it is increasingly becoming almost as important as taste, according to the Washington, D.C.-based International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation's sixth annual 2011 Food & Health Survey of 1,000 American adults over a two and a half-week period in March and April of 2011. While taste remains the top attribute, consumers say price impacts their decision when deciding which foods and beverages to purchase. While healthfulness, convenience, and sustainability play roles in consumer decision-making, no other motivator rose at the same rate as price over the past five years. It's notable that these trends are consistent with what drives Americans' menu decisions at restaurants: taste and price are ranked as the top two motivators. Americans also say that lower prices are the top driver that would lead them to make more healthful choices when shopping for food.