(DNV: Houston) -- A study being conducted by Michigan State University (MSU) on behalf of DNV finds that U.S. consumers are highly aware of food safety issues and they have high recognition of third-party certification as an effective signal of food safety assurance. The consumers strongly prefer to see products labeled as safety certified.

“Consumers are not only aware of food safety issues they are actually changing their shopping habits due to food safety concerns,” says Chris Peterson, Ph.D., director of the Product Center at MSU. “Nearly half of the consumers we surveyed indicated a change in shopping patterns.”

These and other findings are the results of more than 400 consumers surveyed across the country representing a wide variety of demographics, education, and income levels. Under the guidance of the MSU team, the surveys were conducted online by an independent research firm.

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