Consumers are becoming more confident in their ability to make good food choices, but remain sceptical about the information they use to make them. That is the central theme of the latest "Who do consumers believe?" report from the EIT Food Consumer Observatory.
The report looks at food literacy, perceived knowledge and trusted sources of information across 18 European countries. It finds that 72% of consumers consider their knowledge about the healthiness of food sufficient, while 62% say they can determine how healthy a particular food is. Knowledge around sustainability is less developed: 52% feel sufficiently knowledgeable, and 47% say they can judge how sustainable a food is.
At the same time, consumers appear increasingly confident in assessing information for themselves. The proportion who say they can distinguish reliable from unreliable food information rose from 43% to 49% between 2024 and 2025. Yet fewer than half consider food information generally reliable.
The picture is also interesting when looking at who consumers trust. Medical professionals and scientists remain among the most trusted sources, although trust in both is declining. Farmers are the most trusted food-chain actors overall, but trust in manufacturers fell from 41% to 39%. Retailers, meanwhile, are trusted by fewer than a third of consumers as a source of information on the healthiness and sustainability of food.
The report also explores transparency, finding that consumers particularly value accessible ingredient information and the origin of ingredients and processing. It also considers how different forms of transparency, from labels and logos to QR codes and short videos, are received by consumers.