ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Consumer interest in organic foods has increased 5 percent during the past three years despite the recent economic downturn, according to a national survey of shoppers from the University of Oklahoma and the Glass Packaging Institute. Comparisons to a 2006 survey show younger consumers expressing even more of an interest in organic foods when compared to the total population of shoppers, with 57.8 percent of shoppers ages 18 to 34 purchasing organic foods sometime during the year, compared to 38 percent of shoppers ages 55 and older.

According to the poll, most health-conscious organic shoppers believe glass keeps the true flavor and taste (79.8 percent) and purity (77.3 percent) of a food product. Glass also continues to be the first choice of the organic shopper by wide margins compared to other forms of packaging for health (77 percent), quality (67.7 percent), and preserving product shelf life (67.7 percent).

The survey was conducted by telephone on April 14, 2009, by Newton Marketing Research, Norman, Oklahoma, in conjunction with Professor Doyle Yoon, Ph.D., Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Oklahoma, with a Margin of error of +/- 3.7% (survey facts).

The Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) is the trade association representing the North American glass container industry.