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Consumers Demand Transparency, Traceability
Retailers can promote a culture of transparency by merchandising brands that share a commitment to full disclosure.
September 9, 2020
3 Min Read
Photograph: Shutterstock
Sponsored by Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc.
Transparency has become increasingly important to consumers. They want to know exactly what they’re buying and are demanding it from retailers. This is particularly true for fresh items.
Research from FMI-The Food Industry Association shows that consumers expect their primary grocery store to be open and honest with information. About two-thirds of consumers (65%) in the 2019 FMI Trends report said having accurate information displayed was an important attribute in selecting their primary grocery destination, while being open and honest about business practices was another important attribute for nearly half (48%) of respondents.
“In many ways, shoppers are looking for food retailers to have a culture of trust and transparency across their organization,” David Fikes, VP, communications and consumer/community affairs for FMI, wrote in a blog post about the topic.
Retailers can promote a culture of transparency by merchandising brands that share a commitment to full disclosure.
FMI research in partnership with Label Insight found that 75% of consumers said they would switch to a brand that provides more in-depth product information beyond what’s provided on the label. That’s up from 39% of consumers in 2016 who said the same.
Transparency also drives consumer trust, with 86% of consumers saying that if food manufacturers or retailers provided access to complete and easy-to-understand definitions for all the ingredients, it would result in more trust. In addition, 80% said greater transparency leads to loyalty, and 54% said they would be willing to pay more for products that offer high levels of transparency.
Growing hand in hand with consumer demand for transparency is the increased demand for traceability. Research indicates the food traceability market is expected to exceed $18 billion by 2024, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 9%.
These trends have a huge influence on the way food products are marketed, with the focus shifting toward ingredients and processes, as well as the manufacturer’s backstory, as opposed to traditional advertising alone.
Open Prairie® Natural* Meats Brand from Tyson Fresh Meats embraces these trends around transparency and traceability. The brand’s pork and Angus beef products are produced without antibiotics, added hormones or growth promotants, and the cattle and hogs that are used to produce the final products are fed a 100% vegetarian diet, with no animal byproducts, except for milk.
The Open Prairie Natural Meats brand team also guarantees full product traceability back to place of birth, humane animal well-being practices without compromise and third-party verification for its claims. The brand’s products are backed with an Openness Promise, through which it pledges to uphold and share its production processes and continually increase transparency with its partners and customers.
Open Prairie Natural Meats include whole-muscle pork and beef as well as ground beef. Also available are case-ready offerings that offer improved shelf life, fixed weights and reduced labor costs.
Customers want the confidence that comes with full transparency and traceability, and Open Prairie Natural Meats has those attributes, from prairie to plate. For more information about how to leverage Open Prairie Natural Meats to enhance openness with customers, visit OpenPrairieMeats.com.
