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 and locations, and include people with different levels of educational attainment, 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.
This is the third CIT survey. It was conducted in October 2025, with 2,232 people taking part:
- 1,307 from Australia
- 925 from New Zealand
Previous surveys were conducted in 2023 and 2024.
What’s included in this year’s results
Results from the 2025 survey will be released by topic as they become available. These include:
- trust and confidence in the food system, dietary behaviours and values
- food labelling, including the Health Star Rating and Nutrition Information Panel
- food safety knowledge, behaviours and concerns
- new and emerging foods and food technologies
- online food shopping and food labelling
Further information
The methodological details, sample description and survey instrument of the 2025 CIT can be found here (PDF 1.2MB).
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.
