“ DIRTY ” "Pesticide Laden" “Contaminated”

“ Doused in Pesticides”“New Toxins”

SCARED FAT:

Are consumers being scared away from healthy foods?

SafeFruitsandVeggies.com

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It seems that scary stories about the foods we eat each day are becoming increasingly

common in both traditional and social media channels. While the obvious end goal of the

vast majority of the media is to provide the public with information that will help people

choose healthy diets, a question that begs asking is if the Internet’s growing appetite

for content over substance might at times be causing the public to overreact and make

unhealthy food choices? According to some experts, this indeed may be the case.

Recent data shows the percentage of Americans now classified as obese has risen above 40 percent and obesity rates among children are climbing distressingly fast. The causes of obesity are multifactorial in nature, however poor diet choices are widely accepted as one cause. In this regard, it is noteworthy that despite decades of public health education information, throughout America the average daily consumption of many healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, has been reported to be stagnant or declining. The identification of barriers to increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is an area of significant research in the public health community.

According to a recent consumer research study, it seems that for some consumers, fear and concern about the safety of fruits and vegetables may be having a negative impact on purchasing decisions at the grocery store and that activist groups who call certain fruits and vegetables “dirty” may be unintentionally impeding health initiatives like the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign or the Produce for Better Health Foundation’s More Matters. If fear continues to be a consumption barrier, how will Americans ever reach the USDA’s new recommendation that half our plates be comprised of fruits and vegetables?

This important health issue was recently addressed by a group of experts in food safety, nutrition, farming and consumer behavior. This expert panel reviewed a new study conducted by the Charlton Research Group on behalf of the Alliance for Food and Farming, a non-profit group representing both conventional and organic fruit and vegetable farmers. The nationwide survey examined the potential impact of negative messages generated by activist groups that question the safety of fruits and vegetables and the impact of these messages on consumer attitudes towards buying fruits and vegetables. An analysis of this preliminary study suggests that concerns over the safety of fruits and vegetables are indeed influencing buyer behavior for some of the population. These research findings are

similar to consumer research conducted previously by other organizations. The experts concluded there may be a growing public health threat caused by misinformation about food issues that people are exposed to through the media and the Internet. The panelists noted that reports focused on “potential risks” of some foods are rarely contrasted with information on the well-recognized benefits of these foods. The preliminary data presented in this report and in other ongoing studies, suggests that some consumers have decreased their intakes of fruits and vegetables out of concern that these foods may have pesticide residues. This action is clearly at odds with public health messages that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is one way to reduce the risk for obesity. Regrettably, lack of balance in reporting on the health benefits versus risk of select foods can lead to consumer confusion and, potentially, lowering of faith in the government’s ability to set guidelines that ensure safe food.

The expert panel agreed that consumers need more information from credible sources in order to make their shopping decisions. If a report advises consumers against eating certain kinds of fruits and vegetables or recommends that consumers choose organic options to lower their hypothetical “risk” of a myriad of cognitive disorders and diseases, the media should think twice before simply repeating the message. The expert panel noted these types of statements seem to have led a large portion of the population to believe that any level of pesticide on food presents a health risk. This contention does not represent the scientific consensus and it is not supported by comprehensive scientific studies. Rather, a multitude of studies conducted for decades show a wide-range of health benefits gained by eating diets rich in fruits and vegetables regardless if the products are grown conventionally or under organic conditions. What is not controversial is that one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family is to eat more fruits and vegetables.

AbstrAct

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The Alliance for Food and Farming, a non-profit organization representing conventional and

organic fruit and vegetable farmers, brought together a panel of experts in nutrition, fruit

and vegetable consumption; consumer behavior; farming and food safety who share a goal

of improving public health through better diets to help determine the best way to talk with

consumers about complex food safety topics.

CHRISTIne Bruhn, Ph.D. Consumer Food Marketing Specialist,

Food Science and Technology,

University of California, Davis

CARL Keen, Ph.D. Professor of Nutrition and

Internal Medicine, University

of California, Davis

PeGGy Lemaux, Ph.D. Cooperative Extension Specialist

Plant and Microbial Biology

University of California, Berkeley

MARTInA newel-McGloughlin, Ph.D. Director, UC Systemwide Biotechnology

Research & Education

University of California

eLIzABeTH Pivonka, Ph.D., R.D. President and CEO,

Produce for Better Health Foundation

PAneL MeMBeRS

the expert pAnel

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The research reviewed by the expert panel was conducted by the independent research firm

Charlton Research Company in April 2012. The study was administered via the Internet with

a nationwide sample of 800 adults. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5

percent and a 95 percent confidence level.

The survey questionnaire and detailed survey findings are included in the Appendix of this report,

but the panel members focused on the following five key findings from the overall survey:

Consumerstendtobegenerally concernedaboutthesafetyofproduce. The first question in the survey asked respondents to indicate how concerned they are about the safety of fruits and vegetables and to rate their level of concern on a scale of one (meaning not at all concerned) to nine (meaning extremely concerned). Results show that 53 percent of the respondents listed their concerns as very high (7, 8 or 9). For low-income consumers, the level of concern was slightly higher with 58 percent expressing concern at the highest levels. Meanwhile, just 15 percent of respondents rated their concerns as low or nonexistent and just 9 percent of low-income consumers rated their concerns as low.

The primary purpose of this survey question was to establish a base measurement of concern among respondents and then compare their level of concern later

#1

Gender AGe

MALE 48% 18-34 30%

FEMALE 52% 35-54 37%

55+ 33%

IncOMe leVel*

LESS THAN $35K 30%

$35-$59K 39%

$60-$99K 22%

$100K or more 11%

*Twenty-two percent of the

participants met the federal

government’s definition of

low-income.

From a demographic perspective, survey participants were as follows:

in the survey. It should be noted that any time the question of safety is raised it is not unreasonable that people will respond that it is a concern for them. The expert panel agreed the response to this first survey question simply means that, when prompted, people express a general concern about the safety of the food, and that it is an important issue for them and their families, as it should be.

suMMAry Of prelIMInAry reseArch fIndInGs

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Safetyisanimportantfactorin purchasedecisions. Question 2 provided respondents with a list of various choices and asked them to rate which was the most important factor in purchasing fruits and vegetables and which was the second most important. not unexpectedly, ‘safety from contamination or foodborne illness’ ranked first with 39 percent of the respondents listing this as either the first or second most important factor. For low-income consumers this number was even higher (46 percent). The second highest rated factor was ‘the cost of the product’ at 38 percent. The figure was slightly higher for low-income consumers (40%). The third most important factor was ‘free from chemical pesticide residues’ at 36 percent. The number was not influenced by income grouping. ‘Whether it’s grown in the US or imported’ was fourth at 24 percent; ‘nutritional value’ was also at 24 percent, but was much less for low-income consumers at 17 percent. The other three factors ‘whether it’s grown locally,’ ‘not genetically engineered’ and ‘whether it’s organic’ were selected by less than 16 percent of the respondents as important factors and was very similar among low-income consumers.

The panel fully recognized that this finding is different from asking consumers why they don’t purchase more fruits and vegetables and several panel members referenced other survey data on barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption which indicates Cost, Availability and Preferences are much more significant factors when it comes to purchasing fruits and vegetables. However, the panel noted the primary purpose of this question was to allow respondents to rank a list of common topics they may be considering when purchasing fruits and vegetables. The panel noted three important points about this finding. First, they found it very telling that “cost” comes out as a top factor in fruit and vegetable purchase decisions, just as it has in other research examining barriers to consumption of produce. Second, the panel was interested that nutritional value was rated as low as it was, particularly for low-income consumers. The panel noted that this factor may just be a “given” and that

respondents assume produce is “good for you” so it is not important to their purchase decisions. But what was most interesting to the panel, was that respondents selected ‘free from pesticide residues’ nearly twice as often as ‘nutritional value.’ This leads the panel to suggest that, when it comes to purchase decisions, whether or not a fruit or vegetable has pesticide residues is a significantly more important factor than the nutritional value it provides.

Atmost,onlyabout20percentof consumersaremeetingtheUSDA’s‘halfyourplate’recommendationwhenitcomestoeatingfruitsandvegetables. The third survey question sought to determine the amount of fruits and vegetables respondents are purchasing. While this varied widely, the mean percentage among all respondents reported that fruits and vegetables comprised 26.3 percent of their purchases. For low-income it was a bit higher at 31 percent.

The panel noted that this finding may not be a totally accurate assessment because it doesn’t measure actual purchases. Also, the question was clearly focused on grocery shopping only and did not include meals eaten at restaurants. The experts noted that both of these factors would likely result in the respondent over estimating their produce purchases.

However, the panel did discuss concerns over the very low percentage of respondents who reported at least 50 percent of their grocery purchases were comprised of fruits and vegetables. Only 9 percent of the respondents said fruit and vegetables comprised between 41% and 50% of their purchase, with another 10 percent claiming that over half or all of their purchases were fruits and vegetables. This finding indicates that, even if people are over exaggerating their fruit and vegetable purchases, only 19% are following the USDA’s dietary recommendation to make half of what we eat fruits and vegetables. Clearly, this finding indicates there is a long way to go before Americans are meeting this important health recommendation.

#3

#2

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Whenconsumershearactivist-generated messagesaboutpesticideresiduestheirconcernsaboutthesafetyoffruitsandvegeta-blesareincreased. The survey tested messages pertaining to the topics of pes-ticide residues that may be found on fruits and vegetables. Also tested were messages about the use of genetically engineered varieties. Although current use of bio-tech is limited in fruit and vegetable production, it must be emphasized that all messages presented to respondents in this survey were taken directly from statements that appear on activist group websites or were from actual media reports. These statements may not necessarily represent an accurate description of the facts. On advice from the research firm, many of the most often used and more inflammatory activist groups’ statements were not tested because these extreme messages might have made the survey appear overly biased toward inciting high levels of concern among respondents. After each of four messages below were presented, respon-dents were asked the same question – “Knowing this, how concerned are you about the safety of fruits and vegetables?” Again, they were asked to rate their level of concern from high to low. Graphs appearing in the Appendix of this report pro-vide data on responses to each of the individual questions.

MessagesTested

• “Several national Academy of Sciences studies have affirmed that genetically engineered crops have the potential to introduce new toxins or allergens into our food and environment.”

• “A non-profit research organization maintains a list of the fruits and vegetables most likely to contain residues of pesticides. This organization advises consumers to purchase organic whenever possible of these fruits and vegetables.”

• “This same non-profit research organization that cautions consumers about pesticide residues is also concerned about produce that may be genetically engineered. They offer similar advice to consumers to only purchase organic whenever possible of the fruits and vegetables that are most likely to be genetically engineered.”

• “Genetically engineered” or “genetically modified” foods, sometimes called GMOs, are created through gene-splicing techniques that are part of biotechnology. This relatively new science allows DnA from one species to be transferred into another species, creating transgenic organisms with combinations of genes from plants, animals, bacteria, and even viral gene pools.”

After all of the four messages were presented, the survey then asked people to rate their overall concern about the safety of fruits and vegetables. These responses (Late Ballot) were then compared to what respondents said earlier in the survey (early Ballot) before they heard the four negative points. The results indicate that 10 percent or more respondents now said they were “extremely concerned” and that 5 percent fewer respondents now said they were “not at all” concerned. As is shown on the chart above, low-income consumers tended to be slightly more impacted by the negative messages and more expressed concern, but the majority of respondents expressed concern regardless of their income level.

What intrigued the expert panel about this finding was how quickly the respondents reported an increase in their level of concern. They noted that in the span of a 10 minute survey, overall concerned was significantly increased. The panel agreed that it could be argued the survey was skewed because respondents were only exposed to the negative messaging with no counter-balancing of issues. However, it was noted the majority of media and internet reporting on these food safety topics often focus only on negative messages so this one-sided presentation of facts is consistent with real-life conditions.

#4

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Negativemessagingaboutpesticideresi duesandbioengineeredvarietiesthatcouldbeusedinconventionalfarmingmayincreasesalesoforganicproductsamongsomepopulations,butcouldhaveanoppositeeffectonpurchaseandconsumptionoffruitsandveg-etablesforothers. The final question on the survey asked respondents to consider their level of concern about the safety of fruits and vegetables and to make a choice about how these concerns might impact their grocery shopping or consumption habits. The choice selected by the most number of respondents was, “I would buy more organic produce.” This choice was selected by 42 percent of the overall respondents and 36 percent of the low-income respondents. The second choice was “I would not change my shopping habits at all because I cannot afford to buy or-ganic produce.” This choice was selected by 27 percent of all respondents, but was even higher among low-income respondents with 31 percent selecting this choice.Some respondents (14% overall and 9% of low-income) said they would “not change their buying habits because they are not concerned about the safety of the produce they buy” and the smallest number of respondents (4% overall and 6% of low-income) said they would “not change their buying habits because they are already buying organic.”

Meanwhile, six percent of respondents said they would “reduce their consumption of fruits and vegetables” and for low-income consumers this number was higher at nine percent. Another seven percent of the respondents (9% of low-income) said they just “don’t know” what they would do.

Again, the expert panel was dismayed to see how the level of concern about food safety seems to be impacting attitudes toward produce consumption. They were especially concerned that negative messaging caused almost 10 percent of low income consumers to say they would reduce their consumption of fruits and vegetables. This coupled with 10 percent of low income consumers stating they didn’t know what they would do indicates negative messaging may be pushing some consumers to purchase less, or at minimum into a state of confusion over what they should do.

#5 Forty two percent of the respondents said they would switch to organic and, while the experts did not see anything wrong with this decision, they noted the switch did nothing to increase consumption of fruits and vegetable overall. Indeed, because organic options are typically more expensive, it can be assumed that for some people, particularly low-income consumers, this could result in a reduction in the amount of produce that could be afforded. This may be the case, since the second highest option selected was for produce purchases to remain unchanged because organic produce could not be afforded. Again, the selection of this option did not indicate that the respondents planned to purchase more fruits and vegetables.

The panel noted these results may also indicate that many people may feel they are “stuck” with “inferior, unsafe” produce because they cannot afford organic. This perception, the panel stated, may have serious public health implications, which may be more pronounced for low-income consumers. This is unfortunate, given that based on current research; there is nothing inferior about conventionally grown fruits and vegetables when it comes to safety. The real health issue for Americans is that people are not eating enough fruits and vegetables.

The panel concluded that very few respondents are currently consuming the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables and that the negative messages carried by activist groups are exacerbating this situation, particularly when it comes to low-income consumers.

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Each member of the expert panel involved in reviewing this report is committed to research

and education on issues of nutrition and food safety. The majority of the members are

university scientists who are often charged with communicating complex food safety issues

to the public. Without question, the food industry has a responsibility to provide safe food and

that consumers should have access to a range of food choices. But the panel emphasized

the point that people also have a right to “accurate” information from credible sources to

help them make these decisions. In summarizing the conclusions drawn from this consumer

research report, the panel agreed on the following points:

• This report clearly shows an emerging public health threat, and that although it may be unintentional, the impact of negative messages on food safety issues is not promoting the consumption of healthy fruits and vegetables.

• We have an obesity epidemic and current media and internet reporting is increasing fears consumers have about eating fruits and vegetable and is lowering the faith people have in the government regulations implemented to protect them.

• It is inaccurate to suggest that organic is the only safe choice when it comes to selecting safe fruits and vegetables; because there is no scientific consensus to substantiate this claim.

• Regrettably some well-intentioned media and internet reports on food safety may create a situation where some consumers feel like they are making inferior choices when they buy conventionally grown fruits and vegetables rather than organic.

• The key message we need to continue to deliver is -- eat more fruits and vegetables.

While the panel agreed the current media environment may be promoting fear about the safety of food, they recognize the media’s need to attract and engage their audiences with exciting and compelling news stories. Although food safety issues are often complex, the panel noted there is an

important need to avoid simplistic and emotive reporting and to provide consumers with credible, science based information they can use to make purchasing decisions. The power of the media is tremendous and so is the impact social and traditional media can have on the food supply and public health. The panel urged the media to consider some crucial questions when they are reviewing scientific data and reports from any group representing a food safety issue. They are:

1. What is the current scientific consensus on this topic?

2. What is the source of the information? Is a scientific journal cited? Is the citation accurate?

3. How current is the research?

4. If there is a sample size discussed in the research, how large is the sample? Does it reflect real world conditions?

5. What advice is being given to consumers? And will this message alleviate the problem? What unintended consequences could result from this advice?

Finally the panel urged media reporters to contact university and other independent experts for additional information. each of the members of the panel offered to serve as a resource for media to assist in answering questions or directing them to other science-based sources.

cOnclusIOns

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cItAtIOns And resOurces

Dietary Behaviors Associated With Fruit and Vegetable Consumption, Marion County, Indiana, 2005, Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice and Policy, Volume 8: no. 3, May 2011, Karl W. Staser; Terrell W. zollinger, DrPH; Robert M. Saywell Jr, PhD, MPH; Srujana Kunapareddy, MPH; P. Joseph Gibson, PhD; Virginia A. Caine, MD, http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/may/10_0091.htm

Multiple Behavior Changes in Diet and Activity, Archives Internal Medicine, 2012;172(10):789-796 Bonnie Spring, PhD; Kristin Schneider, PhD; H. Gene McFadden, BS; Jocelyn Vaughn, MA; Andrea T. Kozak, PhD; Malaina Smith, BA; Arlen C. Moller, PhD; Leonard H. epstein, PhD; Andrew DeMott, BA; Donald Hedeker, PhD; Juned Siddique, DrPH; Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, MD, http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1170044

Lots to Lose: How America’s Health and Obesity Crisis Threatens our Economic Future, Bipartisan Policy Center, June 5, 2012, http://bipartisanpolicy.org/projects/lotstolose

State-Specific Trends in Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Adults --- United States, 2000—2009, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, September 10, 2010 / 59(35); 1125-1130, http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5935a1.htm?s_cid=mm5935a1_w

Consumer Research: Pesticide Residues on Produce, Alliance for Food and Farming, 2008, http://www.foodandfarming.info/docs/docs_member/362Consumer_Research_Pesticide_Residues.pdf

2012 Food & Health Survey: Consumer Attitudes toward Food Safety, Nutrition and Health, Food Insight, May 23, 2012, International Food Information Council, http://www.foodinsight.org/Resources/Detail.aspx?topic=2012_Food_Health_Survey_Consumer_Attitudes_toward_Food_Safety_nutrition_and_Health

Consumer Trends, Produce Marketing Association, (various reports) http://www.pma.com/resources/research-center/consumer-trends

National Action Plan: To Promote Health through Increased Fruit and Vegetable Consumption, 2012 Report Card, national Fruit & Vegetable Alliance, http://nfva.org/pdfs/nfva/FInALnAP2010.pdf

2012 Consumer Research: Primary Shoppers/Moms with Kids 10 & Under, Produce for Better Health Foundation, http://www.pbhfoundation.org/pdfs/about/res/pbh_res/2012GenX-yMomResearch.pdf

Expert Panel Report, Alliance for Food and Farming, 2010, Dr. Penny Fenner-Crisp; Dr. Carl Keen, Dr, Jason Richardson, Dr. Karl Rozman; http://www.safefruitsandveggies.com/residue-research/expert-panel-report.

Thepanelalsohadadviceforconsumers

• One means to help ensure good health is to regularly consume a diet that is rich in plant foods, including several servings of fruits and vegetables.

• The United States has one of the best food safety records in the world.

• The food supply is safer today than it ever has been.

• Some of the healthiest people in the world are those who consume diets that are rich in fruits and vegetables.

• eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Be confident that choosing fruits and vegetables is very safe no matter what production method is used to grow them and that both organic and conventionally-grown produce are good choices.

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Dietary Exposure to Pesticide Residues from Commodities Alleged to Contain the Highest Contamination Levels, Journal of Toxicology, Volume 2011, Article ID 589674,,Carl K.Winter and JoshM. Katz, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3135239/

Pregnant Women Should Eat Their Fruits and Veggies, Safe Fruits and Veggies guest blog by Drs. Richard Reiss and John DeSesso, June 12, 2012 (This post contains citations from numerous peer-reviewed studies) http://www.safefruitsandveggies.com/node/86

Genetically Engineered Plants and Foods: A Scientist’s Analysis of the Issues (Part I) Annual Review of Plant Biology, Vol. 59: 771-812 (June 2008), Peggy G. Lemaux, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley. http://www.annualreviews.org/eprint/9ntsbp8nBKFATMuPqVje/full/10.1146/annurev.arplant.58.032806.103840

(Part II) Annual Review of Plant Biology 60: 511–59. (June 2009), http://www.annualreviews.org/eprint/eSHx4FnzadAJzqvIsGRg/full/10.1146/annurev.arplant.043008.092013

Websites

http://ucbiotech.org/

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/pdp

http://www.fda.gov/Food/default.htm

http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodContaminantsAdulteration/Pesticides/ucm114958.htm

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/

http://www.foodinsight.org/

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/

http://www.letsmove.gov/

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

http://www.safefruitsandveggies.com/

GenDeR QUOTAMale 48% Female 52%

ReGIOnWest 22% Midwest 24% northeast 23% South 31%

A. Are you 18 years old or older?yes no

B. Do you or anyone in your family work for1) an advertising agency, 2) a market research or public opinion research firm, 3) a public relations agency, or 4) in the media such as a reporter, member of the press, or work in print, radio or television media?

yes no

PRODUCe SAFeTy & COnSUMPTIOn1. To begin, please indicate how concerned you are about the safety of the fruits and vegetables you eat, using a scale of one to nine where a one means you are not at all concerned and a nine means you are extremely concerned.

not at all Concerned extremely Concerned 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

2. Which of the following is the most important factor when you are selecting fruits and vegetables to purchase? And which is second most important? [RANDOMIZE] First Second nutritional value The cost of the product Whether it is organic Whether it is grown locally Whether it is grown in the US or imported Free from chemical pesticide residues Safety from contamination or food-borne illnesses7 not genetically engineered/genetically modified/no GMOs

3. What percentage of your typical grocery trip is comprised of fruits and vegetables? ______________ %

4. How often do you purchase organic produce? Most of the produce you buy is organic Sometimes depending on the product or price you usually do not purchase organic produce

ISSUeS5. “Genetically engineered” or “genetically modified” foods, sometimes called GMOs, are created through gene-splicing techniques that are part of biotechnology. This relatively new science allows DNA from one species to be transferred into another species, creating transgenic organisms with combinations of genes from plants, animals, bacteria, and even viral gene pools. Knowing this, how concerned are you about the safety of fruits and vegetables?

Very concerned Somewhat concerned not too concerned not at all concerned

6. Several National Academy of Sciences studies have affirmed that genetically engineered crops have the potential to introduce new toxins or allergens into our food and environment.

Knowing this, how concerned are you about the safety of fruits and vegetables?

Very concerned Somewhat concerned not too concerned not at all concerned

APPENDIX

Alliance For Food & Farming Survey Questionnaire

800N National Web Survey April 2012

7. A non-profit research organization maintains a list of the fruits and vegetables most likely to contain residues of pesticides. This organization advises consumers to purchase organic whenever possible of these fruits and vegetables.

Knowing this, how concerned are you about the safety of fruits and vegetables? Very concerned Somewhat concerned not too concerned not at all concerned

8. This same non-profit research organization that cautions consumers about pesticide residues is also concerned about produce that may be genetically engineered. They offer similar advice to consumers to only purchase organic whenever possible of the fruits and vegetables that are most likely to be genetically engineered. Knowing this, how concerned are you about the safety of fruits and vegetables?

Very concerned Somewhat concerned not too concerned not at all concerned

LATe BALLOTS9. After all this information, please indicate how concerned you are about the safety of the fruits and vegetables you eat. Again use a scale of one to nine where a one means you are not at all concerned and a nine means you are extremely concerned about it.

not at all Concerned extremely Concerned 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10. You rated your concern about the safety of fruits and vegetables a [insert response from q.9]. How would this impact your grocery shopping or consumption, if at all?

I would reduce my consumption of fruits and vegetables I would buy more organic produce I would not change my shopping or eating habits because I cannot afford to buy organic produce I would not change my shopping or eating habits because I am not concerned about the safety of the produce I buy I would not change my shopping habits because I am already buying organic produce Don’t know

DeMOGRAPHICSnow I have just a few questions for demographic purposes…

11. Which of the following groups includes your age?

18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55 - 64 65 or older Refused

12. Please indicate if there are any children in the following age groups living in your household?

Babies and children under age 2 Two to five years old Six to ten years old eleven to eighteen years old no children in household

13. What is the highest level of education you have completed?

Less than high school High school graduate Some college/vocational College graduate Post-graduate

14. Which of the following groups includes your estimated total family income for 2012?

Less than $16,999 $17,000 to $22,999 $23,000 to $28,999 $29,000 to $34,999 $35,000 to $40,999 $41,000 to $46,999 $47,000 to $52,999 $53,000 to $59,999 $60,000 to $79,999 $80,000 to $99,999 $100,000 to $124,999 $125,000 to $149,999 $150,000 or more Refused

15. How many people live in your household?

One/self Two Three Four Five Six Seven eight or more

16. DUMMY VARIABLE: Qualifies as low income? Q.15 response: yes if Q.14 no if Q.14 response is: response is: One/self 1 2-14 Two 1-2 3-14 Three 1-3 4-14 Four 1-4 5-14 Five 1-5 6-14 Six 1-6 7-14 Seven 1-7 8-14 eight or more 1-8 9-14

yes no

17. What do you consider to be your racial or ethnic background?

White/Caucasian Black Hispanic/Spanish/Latino Asian Other [SPeCIFy] Refused

RECORDDEMOGRAPHICDATAFROMSAMPLE18. State

This concludes the survey, thank you for your time and participation. your input has been very valuable.

Note: This interview is the sole property of Charlton Research Company. Any attempt to duplicate or sell the contents constitutes an illegal act

and is subject to prosecution.

SURVEY RESULTS