Hunter Food SurveyAmericans still exhibit an interest in health and nutrition, but a recent study suggests the dietary pendulum may be swinging back to a consumer climate where convenience is emphasized over quality.

The findings come from an annual food survey commissioned by New York agency Hunter Public Relations, which polls Americans on their opinions regarding the top food-related news items each year. This year’s study was conducted with Libran Research & Consulting, and surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. residents between late October and early November.

The study found that about a third of Americans consider news regarding food and nutrition “very important,” and almost half — 45 percent — find these items more important than other news stories. Of those polled, about two-thirds — 63 percent — cited food safety as the most important food-related issue to them, while almost half — 47 percent — said nutrition remains the most important food-related issue.

A closer look at the data, however, reveals discrepancies in Americans’ alleged dietary awareness. Specifically, when comparing this year’s findings to previous Hunter surveys, a pattern emerges suggesting a potential shift in the emphasis health and nutrition is playing in consumers’ behaviors.

In 2013, 53 percent of those polled for Hunter’s food survey said they were eating less processed food. In 2014, only 44 percent claimed this, and this year, only 38 percent endorsed that sentiment. Similarly, while 44 percent in 2013 said they were more likely to think about the health consequences of what they eat, 40 percent backed this statement in 2014 and only 36 percent agreed in 2015. Finally, only 36 percent of those polled this year claimed they pay more attention to food labeling — a drop from 45 percent in 2014 — and only 35 percent said they now pay more attention to the ingredients in food, a drop from 42 percent last year.

These figures suggest nutrition and health may now play a more diminished role in the American psyche than many would care to admit. Incidentally, while Hunter’s food headline surveys in previous years were traditionally dominated by “issues” — news regarding food product recalls, the economy’s effects on food prices and burgeoning diet trends — this year’s survey suggested a consumer climate arguably focused on “softer” food-related news items. (In fact, according to Hunter, this year marks the first time since 2004 that the year’s number-one food news story was not “issue related.”)

So, what was the number-one food related news story in 2015? This year, more Americans were compelled by the news that fast food eateries like McDonald’s are expanding their breakfast menu items to different times of day than any other news story this year.

Hunter’s top 10 food news stories of 2015 are the following:

1. Evolving Fast Food Breakfast Landscape
2. Blue Bell Issues Recall
3. Western Drought Impact Expands
4. Whole Foods Overcharging Scandal
5. Artificial Flavors and Ingredients Phase Out
6. GMO Labeling
7. Domino’s Emoji Ordering
8. Food Waste the New Eco-Concern
9. Alcohol Availability at Fast Food Locations
10. Anheuser-Busch Acquires SABMiller

According to Hunter, fast food related items have cracked the agency’s annual top 10 lists only three times in the survey’s 13-year history. This year, however, fast food related stories took three spots in Hunter’s top 10. (Domino’s use of emojis for ordering, and the availability of alcohol at fast food locations like Starbucks and Taco Bell were the other two.)

According to the survey, the news of fast food outlets offering day-long breakfast took noted traction in the Midwest, where 44 percent of those polled saw it as the top food-related story this year.

The good news: the survey confirms Americans had less to worry about this year in the way of food crises such as outbreaks or product recalls. (The recent Blue Bell crisis, however, where products were recalled after listeria monocytogenes were found in its ice cream, ranked number-two this year, and allegedly provoked 17 percent of Americans polled to change their behavior).

Still, the idea that recent evolutions in our fast food landscape was deemed by Americans the top story this year —coupled with the suggestions that Americans are paying less attention to food labeling and the consequences of what they eat — seems to indicate that a behavioral shift is underway. Taken together, could it be that Americans are returning to a culinary culture characterized by convenience?

Samara Mormar, executive VP of insights and strategy at Hunter PR, preferred to cite innovation in fast food marketing as a reason for these stories’ prevalence in the national conversation, and a concerted effort on behalf of marketers to make headlines that often bypassed traditional media channels.

“I think it speaks to two potential things. One is more obvious, which is proactive impact. I think fast food marketers pushed really hard this year, in an industry that’s been seriously challenged by changing dining trends,” Mormar told O'Dwyers. “The other is the simple fact that we saw a hard push on convenience. Consumers said they wanted new ways of ordering. If a 22-year-old wants beer with his taco, why wouldn't we let him have it?”

An abbreviated report of Hunter PR's 2015 food news study can be found here.