As many as 51% of Finnish people consider microplastics found in food the greatest food safety concern, according to the 2025 Eurobarometer.
The survey gauging the opinions of EU citizens also showed that 90% Finnish respondents report having at least heard of the issue and concern about microplastics has grown by 11 percentage points compared to the previous survey conducted three years ago, said Finnish Food Authority in a press release on Monday referring to the survey.
The survey, commissioned by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), also revealed that antibiotic residues in meat (40%), environmental pollutants in fish, meat or dairy products (37%), and pesticide residues in food (36%) are also prominent food safety concerns among Finnish respondents.
These responses are in line with the EU average, where the top food-related concerns are pesticide residues (39%), antibiotic residues in meat (36%), and food additives (35%).
While concern over these issues has slightly decreased since the last survey, concern about microplastics (33%) has increased by 4 percentage points across the EU.
According to the Eurobarometer, a clear majority of Finns (88%) are interested in food safety.
Food safety ranks as the fourth most important factor (47%) influencing food choices, following cost (61%), origin of the food (54%), and nutrient content (53%).
The most common reason for not being concerned about food safety, according to 56% of Finnish respondents, was that they take for granted that food sold is safe.
The importance of cost has also increased—by 4 percentage points in Finland and 6 percentage points across the EU—making it the most important factor in food choices in 20 EU Member States.
The Eurobarometer also explored where EU citizens get their information about food risks.
Finns and Swedes showed the highest trust in national authorities (95 %) as sources of food risk information.
In Finland, the main source of information about food risks is newspapers (53%), both in print and online. This is followed by internet search engine (45%) and television (44%).
According to the survey, 91% of Finnish respondents and 79% of EU citizens are aware that food safety is ensured through common regulations. Furthermore, 72% of Finnish respondents and 68% of EU citizens know that the EU has a separate authority that provides scientific advice on food safety.
EFSA conducts the Eurobarometer on food safety every three years. This year’s survey was carried out in all 27 EU Member States and seven candidate countries, with 26,370 EU citizens and just over 1,000 Finns interviewed.