SHELTON, Conn.—A recent study by market research firm TABS Group has found consumer products organic food and health and beauty care items still have not gained mainstream acceptance from U.S. shoppers.
"There is a significant gap between the hype and reality of consumer purchase behavior with regards to organic products," noted TABS Group president and founder Dr. Kurt Jetta. "Less than 40 percent of adults claim to have purchased anything from the major organic categories in the last six months."
According to the study, organic fresh fruit had the highest purchase incidence, at 27 percent, with organic fresh vegetables a close second, at 26 percent. Organic eggs and milk were bought by 18 percent and 17 percent of American adults, respectively. Frozen organic products such vegetables, fruit, and ice cream came in at 5 percent to 6 percent, respectively. In contrast, nonorganic products for all of the categories included in the study had household penetration levels of well over 70 percent.
The study was conducted Nov. 12-5, 2008 among 1,000 representative respondents age 18 and above in the TNS panel.
