Even in a year when global food prices hit record highs and both restaurant menus and retail food labels got a new look, the safety of the American food supply dominated the headlines and tops a list that asks Americans to choose the most significant food story of 2011.


In an annual survey commissioned by public relations agency Hunter Public Relations, food safety was first on the list asking Americans to choose the most significant food story of 2011. Even in a year when global food prices hit record highs and both restaurant menus and retail food labels got a new look, the safety of the American food supply dominated the headlines and consumers took notice. Hunter Public Relations is an agency specializing in the food and beverage industry.

The food survey looks at the top food-related stories of each year. To compile the 2011 list, the Hunter group collaborated with industry experts, including Phil Lempert, editor of Supermarket Guru; Regina Ragone, food director ofFamily Circle; Elizabeth Fassberg, owner of food and nutrition consultancy Eat Food; Brad Thompson, chef and restaurant consultant; and Megan Steintrager, freelance food writer and editor. After polling 1,000 Americans, the following were named the top three food-related stories of 2011:

1: Twenty-Nine Deaths Caused by Cantaloupe Listeria Outbreak: To date, 29 people have died, and another 133 were made ill from tainted cantaloupe in 2011. Traced to bacteria growing on packing equipment at Colorado's Jensen Farms, the incident is already the second largest Listeria outbreak in U.S. history.

2: First Lady Michelle Obama with United States Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) unveils MyPlate, Replaces Food Pyramid. For the second year in a row, First Lady Michelle Obama was part of one of the top food stories of the year. Together with the USDA, she revealed MyPlate, the new dietary guidelines campaign, replacing the 20-year-old food pyramid.

3: Global Food Prices Hit Record High. No. 3 on the list is food and finance: Global food prices skyrocketed in 2011, putting pressure on the restaurant, travel and hotel industries. To avoid passing costs to consumers, companies are scrambling to renegotiate contracts, find cheaper suppliers and reconfigure menus.

The survey also revealed how consumer behavior was impacted by these stories and how these stories will affect Americans in the coming year. More information is available from Hunter atwww.hunterpr.com.

Source: www.marketwatch.com