The French consume fresh products, but do not seem to know the risks to their health from poor hygiene rules, according to a survey conducted by Opinion Ways for Bizerba, a company specializing in weighing, cutting and labeling. A quarter of them would have fallen ill following risky consumption of fresh food.
The French are misinformed of the dietary rules to follow
This survey reveals that more than a third (34%) of French people like and consume fresh products but that the majority do not respect the hygiene rules necessary for their good health. Indeed, they are 73% to declare having consumed expired food and 64% have frozen a fresh product on the day of its expiry date. Even more surprising, this survey reveals that only 34% of respondents know that a thawed product should not be re-frozen and 51% change the containers of vacuum-packed foods (meat, charcuterie).
As a result of these bad habits, 26% of French people fell ill after consuming fresh produce and 35% of those under 35 years old.
The cause, according to respondents, of this lack of good habits: a lack of information. Indeed, nearly half of respondents (46%) said they had no information on the consumption period for fresh produce. The majority of them (63%) do not know that you can still eat a product even if it has changed color and appearance. 57% do not know that certain fresh products keep better out of the fridge and half of them doubt the use-by dates.
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