Consumer Trends

Americans worried about quality of Gulf seafood

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has sparked concern among most Americans over the safety of Gulf seafood, according to a continuing survey done by the Food Industry Center at the University of Minnesota.

  • 89 percent of respondents expressed “some concern” over possible effects of the spill on Gulf seafood.
  • The oil spill has affected consumption of Gulf seafood for 54 percent of respondents.
  • 44 percent say they will only eat seafood which is not from the Gulf of Mexico. Less than a third of respondents said they would eat seafood regardless of where it comes from.

"Given the amount of news coverage the oil spill has received, these results may not be surprising, but it does show that consumers are connecting the event to food safety," said Dennis Degeneffe, a research fellow at The Food Industry Center.

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