The survey found that more than 80% of US consumers used canned food for meals at least a few times a month; 61% indicated they use canned edibles at least one or two times weekly.
Canning concepts
However, the survey also found consumers hold a number of misconceptions about canned food and its nutritional benefits. According to Rich Tavoletti, executive director of the CFA, food companies need to help consumers get a better understanding of the pluses of canned food.
"We know relying on canned foods to prepare quick, nutritious meals for ourselves and our families makes good sense and is backed by research that shows canned foods offer comparable nutrition to other forms," he said. "Americans continue to underestimate the value of canned foods in a healthy diet. We are educating consumers by sharing the realities about canned food."
Knowledge gap
According to the survey, :
- Canned food offers comparable nutrition to fresh and frozen food: Only 27% of respondents believe that canned food is as nutritious as frozen; only 18 percent agree that canned food measures up to fresh. Research indicates that canned food can be nutritionally on par with both.
- Canned food isn’t always high in sodium: Only half of respondents believe canned food can be low in sodium, even though myriad low- and reduced-sodium and no-salt-added options exist (and breads, cheeses, deli meats and other foods often surpass canned foods as sodium culprits).
- Canned foods are minimally processed: More than half of consumers polled in the survey believe a can equals a significant amount of processing, when the opposite is true.
The CFA is a professional association that works to encourage increased consumption of canned foods through direct outreach to consumers, with a variety of recipes and meal-preparation tips. It also helps food firms to get the message out and partners with dietitians, educators and policymakers to share the word about canned food as a viable packaging format.