Junk food advertising and food security: latest ANU poll results

More than 75% of Australians believe junk food advertising should be banned during children’s television programs and 18% believe junk food advertising should be banned completely. These are some of the findings of the latest Australian National University (ANU) poll, Public Opinion on Food Security and Related Food Issues.

ANU researchers said that while 37% of respondents can afford to eat out more than once a week, up to 16% of respondents have concerns about their food running out before they have enough money to buy more. Additionally, 13% felt they could not afford to eat nutritionally balanced meals and 4% had received emergency food assistance in the past.

Responses to genetically modified (GM) food were mixed. Up to 44% of those surveyed felt that GM foods are safe to eat, but among those who have researched GM foods, only 49% feel GM foods are safe to eat. Despite these responses, 54% of all respondents said they were unlikely to buy foods labelled as genetically modified.

Food safety was another issue that elicited a range of responses. While 81% felt food products in general are safe to eat, nearly two-thirds don’t trust food products imported from Asia.

The poll, the twelfth run by ANU, was conducted by Professor Stewart Lockie, Head of the School of Sociology, and Dr Juliet Pietsch, from the School of Politics and International Relations.