As our food supply gets more varied and safer, consumers seem to have become more worried about many issues related to the food supply. Some of these issues are, of course, real concerns. Food safety must always be front and center. Nutrition and health are always of concern. But other issues when addressed often raise the cost of food yet may be working at cross-purposes with what consumers really want: safe food that is sustainable, with good animal welfare where relevant and good working conditions for those providing the food, all at a reasonable cost.
In a lecture to the Cornell Association of Professors Emeriti (CAPE) on Oct. 18, 2018, Cornell professor emeritus of food science Joe Regenstein looks at the limitations of organic, natural, non-GMO and cage-free in terms of what consumers "really want" versus their perceptions, which often drive behavior.