BAP survey suggests Chinese seafood buyers embracing certification over food safety concerns

A Global Seafood Alliance survey of nearly 3,000 Chinese consumers has found younger Chinese are choosing seafood over meat, but that food safety remains a much higher priority than sustainability and traceability in their purchasing preferences.

The survey of 2,698 consumers from 31 Chinese provinces – 91 percent were younger than 40 – from 31 provinces were interviewed for the survey. Of that figure, 81 percent said they intended to eat more seafood in the future, with the percentage of those surveyed in Shanghai even higher at 94.3 percent. Ninety percent of those surveyed said they believed seafood was a better source of protein than meat.

When questioned on the “influences on consumer purchasing decisions,” 65 percent of those surveyed said their key deciding factor was price, while hygiene in processing (56 percent) was second. The environment the seafood was produced in ranked third at 51 percent, and drug use in the farming of the seafood (41 percent) ranked as fourth. Only 17 percent identified the environmental sustainability of the seafood as their top priority. Brand and traceability tied for last in the survey’s choices, with 14 percent of those ranking each first.

According to the GSA, which shared the results of the survey with SeafoodSource, certifications like its its Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) “can drive a meaningful increase in seafood purchases.”

“Survey results demonstrate that besides helping a producer standardize their practices, the BAP logo helps add value to product brands,” it said.

The survey found 62 percent of Chinese consumers interviewed would prefer to buy a product bearing the BAP logo over one not carrying it.

When asked to rank what information is most persuasive in getting them to buy seafood, 84 percent of those surveyed ranked certification and testing reports first, followed by cooking and recipe information (49 percent), and information on environmental effects (27 percent).