Question 1
Given the increased bacterial threats in our world today (e.g. MRSA, Enterococcus, E.coli, Staphylococcus, C.Diff, Salmonella, H1N1 flu etc) what is your expectation that food growers, producers, transporters and retailers prioritise, monitor and update their food safety and bio-protective practices in line with these threats?

• Always 77.8 %
• Sometimes 11.2 %
• Never 11.0 %
• Don’t know Nil
• No answer Nil

Question 2
Major advancements in hygiene and bio-security have enabled many of these threats to be neutralised. In your opinion what level of priority should be attached to ensuring bio-security is a constant factor within the Food Supply Chain generally?

• High priority 86.9 %
• Medium 8.2 %
• Low priority 4.8 %
• Don’t know 0.1 %
• No answer Nil

Question 3
Based on the last question and your answer (recap), and relating to the Food Supply Chain only, would you expect containers, equipment or vehicles utilised in the movement of food to be treated / cleansed to a food safe, bio-secure (bacteria-free) standard?

• Always 88.2 %
• Sometimes 11.8 %
• Never Nil
• Don’t know Nil
• No answer Nil

Question 4
Again, given your answer to the last question (recap) how would you describe the priority which should be attached to ensuring the following are maintained to a food safe, bio-secure standard?:

(a) Shopping trolleys and baskets

• Always 92.2 %
• Sometimes 5.8 %
• Never Nil
• Don’t know 1.0 %
• No answer 1.0 %

(b) Plastic trays containing fruit and vegetables

• Always 93.0 %
• Sometimes 4.0 %
• Never 2.0 %
• Don’t know Nil
• No answer 1.0 %

(c) Vehicles transporting food

• Always 79.2 %
• Sometimes 13.8 %
• Never 4.5 %
• Don’t know 2.5 %
• No answer Nil

Question 5
Given the major advances in bio-technology and bio-engineering in recent years would you expect that food growers, producers, transporters and retailers should monitor and update their  processes and practices to optimise the benefits of new technology?

• Always 85.4 %
• Sometimes 10.6 %
• Never Nil
• Don’t know 3.0 %
• No answer 1.0 %

Question 6
Based on the previous questions, and your answers, do you believe financial considerations or the safeguarding and protection of consumers from potential threats should be pre-requisite priorities in ensuring food safety, bio-security and bio-protection throughout the Food Supply Chain?

• Financial 16.2 %
• Consumer protection 81.8 %
• Don’t know 2.0 %
• No answer Nil

Question 7
What is your perception of the food safe levels of cleanliness / bio-security which are currently applied by food transporters and retailers to the following:

(a) Shopping trolleys and baskets

• Bio-secure 78 8 %
• Bacteria-free 90.2 %
• Washed only 11.2 %
• Monitored 67.9 %
• Don’t know Nil 

(b) Plastic trays containing fruit and vegetables

• Bio-secure 86.4 %
• Bacteria-free 93.2 %
• Washed only 9.7 %
• Monitored 87.6 %
• Don’t know 1.0 % 

(c) Vehicles transporting food

• Bio-secure 84.8 %
• Bacteria-free 88.1 %
• Washed only 10.2 %
• Monitored 67.8 %
• Don’t know 1.0 %

Question 8
In areas where environmental benefits and carbon savings could be effected, do you believe that  food growers, producers, transporters and retailers have a responsibility to explore and optimise the potential for collaboration, regardless of competition?

• Always 66.5 %
• Sometimes 31.0 %
• Never 2.5 % 
• Don’t know Nil
• No answer Nil

Question 9
Following your answer to the previous question, do you believe those initiatives of which you may be aware (such as shared vehicle usage) claimed by food growers, producers, transporters and retailers to be their optimal carbon saving contribution are fully representative of true potentials?

• Yes, always 8.2 %
• Maybe12.2 %
• Definitely not 79.6 %
• Don’t know Nil
• No answer Nil

Question 10
Taking all the foregoing questions – and your answers – in to account, with regard to the general topics of food safety, bio-security, the environment and carbon reduction;

(1) is it your perception that food producers, logistics operators and retailers should regard these areas as high or low priorities? and

(2) what is your perception of the degree of importance that should be placed by food producers, logistics operators and retailers on these areas generally?

Answer 1

• High priority 79.2 %
• Medium 17.8 %
• Low priority 3.0 %
• Don’t know Nil
• No answer Nil

Answer 2

• V important 87.2 %
• Important 10.8 %
• Not important 2.8 %
• ‘Lip-service’ 89.7 %
• Don’t know Nil

NOTE: In order to provide an opportunity for greater feedback on certain topics we have allowed for additional input in Question 7 (a) (b) and (c) and Question 10 (2). You will note that the % feedback totals greater than 100% for the Questions. Experience indicates that respondents prefer a freedom of input if the question may warrant this. We trust this feedback may be useful