Following today’s news (Wednesday 25 November) that supermarkets and fast-food outlets are selling chicken fed on imported soya, which has been linked to large tree clearance in the Brazilian Cerrado;

Ramsey Baghdadi, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“The indirect responsibility the retailers and foodservice providers hold for supplying the soya crop to their chicken stock reflects the current misalignment of consumer demand for transparency, especially during COVID-19 conditions. According to GlobalData’s latest COVID-19 recovery tracker (4th-8th November 2020), 34% of UK consumers find ethical/sustainably sourced ingredients more important than before as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“To further ensure consumer trust, retailers especially should address the transparency of their end products, which brands involved around the Cerrado deforestation failed to successfully execute. According to GlobalData’s survey, a notable proportion of UK consumers (32%) agree they were confused by the on-pack marketing or health claims made by brands.

“To minimalize incidences like this from recurring, it is vital that higher standards of transparency are met to maintain a sustainable and ethical supply chain process, such as using traceable technology throughout to avoid confusion and mistrust of final product claims.”