Trust Report 2026: Chapter One

Approach

This edition of the EIT Food TrustTracker® combines eight years of consumer insights. The project was developed by EIT Food partners including the University of Reading (project lead), the European Food Information Council (EUFIC), Aarhus University, KU Leuven and the University of Warsaw.

Almost 20,000 consumers across 18 European countries participated in this edition. Since 2018, around 140,000 consumers have taken part in this in-depth, mixed methods research.

Key insights

• Europeans are broadly satisfied with their diets. Only 14% report dissatisfaction and this figure has remained stable since 2024.

• Younger Europeans are the most motivated to change their diets compared to older generations, but feel least able to do so in practice

• 51% of consumers want to eat more healthily. Affordability ranks priority, reflecting continued cost pressures across Europe.

• Despite health being a primary driver of food choices, most consumers are still under-consuming key healthy foods.

• Interest in sustainable eating continues to decline across Europe, despite high awareness of environmental issues. Affordability and habit stand in the way of sustainable choices, outweighing lack of information or motivation.

Access the report

You can read Chapter 1 one of the 2026 trust Report here:

What’s next?

The Trust Report 2026 findings will be released in four thematic, focused chapters. This first issue ‘Europe wants to eat better, so why isn’t it happening?’ focuses on current diets, generational differences and the structural barriers shaping food choices across Europe. 

Coming soon, the upcoming segments will deep dive into the state of trust in Europe’s food system, explore responses to current innovation trends and analyse who consumers tend to believe when it comes to informing their food choices.