Forty-five percent of U.S. adults believe organic fruits and vegetables are healthier than conventional produce, according to a Pew Research Center survey.
That share has fallen from two years ago, when 55% of people responded that they viewed organic produce as better for them.
Groups that more heavily favor organic fruits and vegetables include younger people, people who care about the topic of genetic modification of food, and people who buy organic.
“About four in ten U.S. adults (39%) estimate that most (7%) or some (32%) of the food they eat is organic,” the Pew Research Center wrote in a report on the survey. “A majority of this group (68%) believes that organic fruits and vegetables are better for health than conventionally grown options.
“By comparison, 32% of those who report eating no organic foods or not too much believe that organic produce is better for one’s health,” Pew stated.
Age also continues to be a key predictor of perception on organic, with 54% of people 18-29 saying organic produce is healthier. That perception is shared by 47% of people 30-49, 42% of people 50-64, and 39% of people 65 or older.
Among people who say they care a great deal about the topic of genetic modification of food, 65% believe organic produce is healthier.
Among people who care about the topic some, 52% say organic is healthier. Among people who say they do not care at all about the issue, 29% say organic is healthier.
“These latest findings come as consumers sort through ongoing public debates over how the foods we eat can affect our health,” Pew noted in its report. “Today, the perception of what constitutes a ‘healthy’ diet can be in the eye of the beholder, as even the Food and Drug Administration wrestles with new guidelines for which food products can legally have ‘healthy’ printed on their labels.”