American moms, who are increasingly interested in hot-button food issues like pesticides, genetic modification and additives, trust food and mom blogs for information about these topics, according to a new survey. The recent poll of 1,000 moms, conducted by Fleishman-Hillard and TheMotherhood.com, found that blogs about food and blogs by other moms were ranked higher than government sources, medical sites and corporate sources for gathering information on food. When it comes to pesticides, for instance, food and mom blogs were cited by 34 percent of moms, while medical sites were only trusted by 20 percent, and physicians by 15 percent. The survey found that when moms wanted information on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), 39 percent trust food and mom blogs, 31 percent look to peers (offline), 24 percent rate the government as a good source and 18 percent listed medical sites. Looking at artificial flavors and colors, food and mom blogs were considered a source for 39 percent, but only 21 percent listed government sources and 17 percent listed physicians. On the whole, nutritionists scored a few points better than physicians on GMOs, artificial flavors and colors, pesticides and food sources. Some of the comments listed shed light on concerns moms have when it comes to safety and health. “I just feel there is not enough known,” one mom commented. “We hear it is safe one day, and then not safe another and I don’t want to risk it in my kids.” “Make it easier to know what’s healthy,” said another. “Don’t trick me with meaningless labels.” Speaking of labels, the survey found that a whopping 78 percent of moms, especially those in urban and suburban areas, reported reading them on food packages. The survey looked at which sources moms turn to for food information. Seventy-eight percent of moms said they turn to food programs on TV, making this the first-ranked source. Food media websites came in second, with 77 percent of moms reporting that they use media websites. The next most reported resources: food brand emails (72 percent), Facebook (65 percent), mobile apps (53 percent), Twitter (52 percent), food magazines (50 percent) and food brand blogs (46 percent). “We found it interesting that more than three-quarters of moms are watching food programs on TV and reading food media websites, and nearly three-quarters have signed up for food brand emails, considering these are not all ‘foodie’ moms, but everyday meal-preparing moms,” said Cooper Munroe, co-founder of TheMotherhood.com. “Food brands must evaluate how they are using these trusted channels to deliver the right messages, mom to mom.” In the new year, 96 percent of moms said they wanted to be change food purchasing habits for their households. Nearly 8 in 10 moms want to save more money on groceries, while 68 percent want to buy healthier food, and 49 percent want to buy less processed food. Twenty-nine percent of moms said they want to buy organic more often in 2013.