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Consumer behaviour, food consumption and demand

Everyone needs to eat. What we eat has consequences for our health and for the environment.

It can vary enormously by culture and individual needs and choice.

Looking after our food supplies

Security of our food supply does not only involve growing and importing enough to sustain us.

It also requires consumption, now and in the future, to be:

  • sustainable
  • safe
  • nutritious
  • environmentally friendly

Our research

Researchers in CRE work with:

  • primary producers
  • industry
  • other key stakeholders
  • consumer

We seek to understand what drives our food-related decisions. We look at how these choices have important implications for policymaking.

We carry out research in the UK and also take part in projects across Europe and the world.

This is at a time when food habits and demand are changing. Climate change also threatens to influence supply.


Projects

SWEETeners and sweetness enhancers: Impact on health, obesity, safety and sustainability (SWEET) - Funding from EU Horizon 2020 (2019-2024) - CRE input: Dr Sharron Kuznesof (Work Package leader), Prof Mark Reed (Co-Investigator), Prof Lynn Frewer (Co-Investigator)

FOODINTEGRITY - providing assurances to consumers about safety, authenticity and quality of European food - Funding from European Commission, Seventh Framework Programme (2014-2019) - CRE input: project co-ordinator Professor Lynn Frewer, WP7 Leader

PROHEALTH – Sustainable pig and poultry production: WP7: Socioeconomic evaluation of controls of production diseases - Funding from European Union Seventh Framework (2013-2018) - CRE input: PI Prof Lynn Frewer

Strength2Food - Strengthening European Food Chain Sustainability by Quality and Procurement Policy Funding from European Commission, Horizon 2020 (2017-2021) - CRE input: PI Prof Matt Gorton, project team Dr Carmen Hubbard, Prof Jeremy Phillipson 

VALUMICS - "Understanding food value chains and network dynamics" - Funding from H2020 (2017-2021) - CRE input: PI Dr Carmen Hubbard

Consumer heuristics and biases in the identification of sustainable food - Funding from Newcastle University (2014-2016) - CRE input PI Dr Luca Panzone