Why consumer research matters
Understanding consumers supports design of more effective food standards and labelling requirements, helping maintain trust in the food system.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand surveys more than 2000 Australian and New Zealand consumers every year to track consumer understanding of and attitudes to food labelling, as well as trust in the food regulation system.
Our Consumer Insights Tracker (CIT) gives us direct access to consumers’ views—capturing the perspectives of our most important, but often hardest to reach, stakeholders. It helps us to:
- understand how people use and interpret food labels in real life
- tracks changes in trust and confidence in the food system over time
- identify what is working well, and what could be improved
- understand food safety behaviours and knowledge
- inform design of and decisions about food standards that reflect consumer needs and expectations
By listening directly to consumers across Australia and New Zealand, the CIT helps support a food system that people can trust – now and into the future.
About the Consumer Insights Tracker
The Consumer Insights Tracker (CIT) is FSANZ’s annual survey of consumers in Australia and New Zealand.
The survey is designed to be nationally representative. Participants reflect a range of ages, genders, education levels, locations, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, and Māori in New Zealand.
The CIT is conducted each year using a consistent approach, allowing results to be compared over time.
The 2026 survey was conducted in July/August 2026, with 2,344 people taking part:
- 1,471 from Australia
- 873 from New Zealand
Previous surveys were conducted in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
What’s included in the 2026 results
Results from the 2026 survey are published across the following modules:
- Trust and confidence in the food system, health and dietary behaviours
- Food labelling
- Food safety knowledge, behaviours and concerns
- Online food shopping and food labelling
- QR codes or website addresses/links on food or drink labels
Further information
Read the 2026 CIT methodological details, sample description and survey instrument (PDF 552 KB) for information about how we conducted the survey and who took part.
To discuss the CIT please contact economics.socialscience@foodstandards.gov.au.
Previous survey results
2023 Consumer Insights Tracker
2023 was the first year of Food Standards Australia New Zealand’s (FSANZ’s) annual Consumer Insights Tracker (CIT). The CIT surveys Australian and New Zealand consumers to understand their trust, use, and understanding of food regulation and food labelling.
The findings from this survey of 1,237 Australians and 810 New Zealanders focused on:
- trust and confidence in the food system
- trust, use and understanding of food labelling
- health and dietary factors affecting food choices
- food safety knowledge and behaviours
- new and emerging foods and food technologies.
For further details about the 2023 Consumer Insights Tracker, see the below presentation, report and infographic.
2024 Consumer Insights Tracker
2024 Consumer Insights Tracker
The findings from the 2024 survey of 1,231 Australians and 884 New Zealanders relate to:
- trust and confidence in the food system
- trust, use and understanding of food labelling
- health and dietary factors affecting food choices
- food safety knowledge and behaviours
- new and emerging foods and food technologies.
For further details about the 2024 Consumer Insights Tracker, see the below presentation, report and infographic.
