CIES, the global food business network, recently released its annual Top of Mind survey, affirming the number one priority for the food industry in 2009 is the economy and consumer demand (up from number four in 2008). The survey was based on a sample of nearly 600 retail and manufacturing decision makers across food and consumer goods industries in 54 countries.
For the second year running, food safety is the number two concern. "The return on investment on food safety is only apparent if there is an issue, yet the risk of ignoring it can be massively damaging to a brand. And therefore food safety is one of the top-of-mind concerns in the boardroom," says Alan McClay, CEO, CIES. He continues, "With today's global sourcing this becomes even more imperative, which is why even global competitors work together through the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) to improve food safety standards."
The number three concern this year is corporate responsibility, missing second place by only 0.5%. Many industry observers have asked whether the best laid sustainability plans of corporations would survive in a downturn. This survey suggests that it can indeed survive in a global recession.
For more information, visit www.ciesnet.com.