AFFI, NFFA PREPARE SURVEY

BOB BAUER

Frozen food retailers and manufacturers will soon learn more about the buying habits of consumers, as well as what customers think overall about frozen food.

The American Frozen Food Institute and the National Frozen Food Association are in the planning stages of a joint nationwide survey of consumers, originally proposed in October during a meeting of association executives at the National Frozen Food Convention in Nashville, Tenn.

"We've contacted firms who are now giving us proposals," said Nevin Montgomery, president of NFFA, when asked about progress made on the project since the October meeting.

"We'll be having a show meeting with AFFI in January, and we're hoping to go over the proposals and select a company to do the survey," said Montgomery. While a starting date has not yet been determined, he added that the goal is to have the survey results available in October, in time for the next National Frozen Food Convention, to be held in Orlando, Fla.

"This survey will highlight trends for the frozen food industry by defining customer attitudes toward frozen food," Steven C. Anderson, AFFI president, told SN. "It will allow us to look at their perceptions and track their buying habits."

Montgomery said the information will help all segments of the frozen food industry."It will help create a more accurate picture of what consumers think about frozen foods. The industry will be able to provide better and more current plans with regard to frozen food."

The associations will split the cost of the survey evenly, Montgomery said.