Trust in UK supermarkets has dropped to its lowest point since the horsemeat scandal more than a decade ago, as the majority of households grapple with rising prices amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
As revealed in The Independent, consumer research company Which? found that trust in the grocery sector dropped in August to the lowest it has been since February 2013, when horse DNA had been discovered in frozen beef burgers and lasagne in some Irish and British supermarkets.
The sector received a ‘trust score’ of 30 on a scale from minus 100 to 100 this month, compared with 24 after the horsemeat scandal was exposed.
In comparison, in May 2020 supermarkets saw a trust score of 68 after being widely praised for ramping up online deliveries in response to Covid restrictions.
Furthermore, food prices, which continue to outstrip overall UK inflation, are now as high as energy bills and is a source of concern to consumers, with Which?’s findings indicating that they worry 85% of people.
Less than half of shoppers (48%) said they trusted the supermarket sector to act in their best interest, and 18% said they did not trust the sector.
Which? also found 78% of consumers had adjusted their habits in response to high food prices, with 54% buying cheaper products and 48% opting for budget range items.
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Head of strategic insight at Which?, Katie Alpin, told The Independent: “Month after month of soaring food prices has seen trust in supermarkets plummet to a 10-year low – comparable to the dark days of the horsemeat scandal.
“The cost of the weekly shop is now on a par with energy bills as the biggest worry for millions of households.
“Supermarkets have the power to ease the huge pressure faced by shoppers, especially families and those on low incomes, by putting low-cost budget range items in hundreds of more expensive convenience stores.
“Which? research has found that these stores rarely, if ever, stock the cheapest products,” she added.
In June, trust in the food industry plummeted as two thirds of consumers believe supermarkets were “ripping people off” with high convenience store prices.
