EIT report finds consumers feel ‘more confident’ about food choices, but sceptical of available information

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A new report from the EIT Food Consumer Observatory, published today (28 September 2026) in line with the International Day for Universal Access to Information, highlights how European consumers are becoming more confident in their food choices despite scepticism about the information available to them.

While Europeans have more food information available than ever before, the report says that deciding who and what to believe remains difficult.

The report, co-funded by the European Union and titled ‘Who do consumers believe?,’ is based on responses from around 20,000 consumers across 18 European countries. It explores how Europeans feel about their own food choices, what they believe they know about healthy and sustainable diets, their ability to identify reliable information, and which sources they trust.

Its findings suggested a growing gap between consumer confidence in making the right choices, and in the information available. The share of Europeans who felt able to make good food choices increased from 60% in 2024 to 66% in 2025, but fewer than half said they consider food information reliable. 53% said they know where to find sources they trust, suggesting consumer confidence in being able to identify reliable sources.

Health was an area respondents said they felt more confident navigating than sustainability. Nearly three-quarters (72%) said they feel their knowledge of healthy diets is sufficient, and 62% said they can judge how healthy a food is. Sustainability paints a different picture, with those figures falling to 52% and 47% respectively.

The findings also showed confidence varied by age. Consumers aged 55 and above were most confident in their food choices, with 70% feeling positive about the choices they make, compared with 62% under 35.

However, older consumers said they felt less confident about sustainability specifically. Fewer than half of those aged 55 and over said they feel sufficiently knowledgeable about food sustainability.

Among consumers with low trust, only 37% feel able to determine the sustainability of food, compared with 65% among consumers with higher trust. This suggests access to information alone may not be enough if consumer confidence in the source is low.

Farmers were identified as the most trusted actors across the food chain overall, but trust in them still fell from 49% in 2024 to 64% in 2025. Meanwhile, trust in manufacturers declined from 41% to 39%. Fewer than one-third of consumers said they consider retailers, public authorities, restaurants and caterers reliable sources of food guidance.

Consumers placed greater confidence in doctors, health practitioners, scientists and academics – but the report found trust in these sources is also declining. Meanwhile, traditional and online media face greater scepticism, and online influencers were said to be among the least trusted sources.

Klaus G Grunert, professor of marketing at Aarhus University and lead of the EIT Food Consumer Observatory, said: “Consumers do not appear to be asking simply for more information. They need information they can understand, assess and trust.”

He added: “The findings show that confidence in our own choices can grow even while confidence in the information environment remains fragile – addressing these gaps will require clearer, evidence-based and coordinated communication on food, particularly around sustainability, where consumers report the greatest uncertainty”.