A NEW survey to measure consumers’ awareness of the ingredients in their food had been launched by a think tank.
The opinion poll, being carried out by the Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat), will also gauge the consumers’ label-reading habits, ingredients they are concerned about, and patterns they follow to organise food consumption priorities.
The detailed questionnaire is currently being distributed by Derasat surveyors among a random sample of citizens and residents.
“This poll aims to identify the levels of awareness consumers in Bahrain have on food quality and safety from reading labels on the packaging,” said Derasat Opinion Polls and Surveys Directorate Statistical Analysis head Ahmed Al Ammadi.
He explained that the quality and safety of healthy foods depends on knowing what natural and artificial ingredients they contain.
In addition, Mr Al Ammadi said public feedback will help support public policy on food security, consumption choices, and planning for expected health conditions based on the high or low quality of the most common food products people consume.
Derasat aims to collect feedback from a specimen of 700 individuals that comprise a cross-section of the Bahraini society to learn about their food choices, their knowledge of foodstuff ingredients, health value, nutrient quantities, and their suitability for their health requirements.
The e-questionnaire is now available on Derasat’s official platform and can be accessed and completed by scanning the displayed QR code.
The GDN reported last month that Bahrain is set to step up efforts to boost food security and ensure the sustainability of supply chains by increasing agricultural, animal and marine product sectors.
According to Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak, through the use of hydroponics, local farm production was expected to increase gradually by 50 per cent.
There were also plans for a new hatching aqua farm with a capacity to breed 15 million finger fish, he added in a written reply to the Shura Council.
Another initiative resulted in the General Poultry Company expanding its production of eggs by 50pc.
In January, a $12 million Bahrain Agricultural Foods Storage and Security’s factory was inaugurated at the Bahrain Business Incubator Centre in Hidd.
It specialises in the processing, importing and exporting of agricultural products and foodstuffs.
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