ASSESMENT OF CONSUMER AWARENESS ABOUT USAGE OF FOOD LABELS AND ITS IMPACT ON FOOD BUYING BEHAVIOUR

Food labeling enables consumers to make informed decisions when purchasing and consuming food products. Consumption of packaged food items has grown tremendously in the recent past. Despite this, the issue of consumer awareness about usage of food labeling information has attracted little research attention in developing countries. Food regulations and increased consumer awareness are forcing packaged food companies across the world to display more and more information on packaged food products. However, little is known about consumer response to such information in emerging economies. For this the data was collected with the help of interview schedule conducted amongst 60 respondents out of which 30 were male and 30 were females from higher education institutes of Pilibhit District of Uttar Pradesh. The study assesses the level of awareness about different categories of information generally displayed on food labels. The study also examines the usage of food labels information during purchase decisions of the respondents about packaged food. All 60 subjects had knowledge about food labels. Amongst male respondents 56.66 per cent were those who purchased packaged food more than once a week, 16.66 per cent purchased it once a week, 6.66 per cent purchased it once a month and 20 per cent purchased it occasionally which is quite similar as females. Gender was significantly associated with the frequency of buying packaged foods and reading food label. The usage of the information printed on packaged food was relatively high amongst the consumers while buying packaged food products. Despite a high frequency of purchasing packaged foods, the percentage of males and females reading food labels and components of food labels on a regular basis was found very less. It is found that consumers in these three education institutes were fairly aware about the information provided on the food labels; though the level of awareness about different types of information varied. The results indicated that particular category of information was used more by the consumers while purchasing packaged food products. The results had very strong implications for researchers as well as the food companies.

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Study of Consumer Awareness on Food Labelling and Use of Pack Information for Purchase of Pre-Packaged Food Products

International Journal of Indian Psychology ◽

10.25215/0404.088 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Samit Dutta ◽

Deval Patel

Keyword(s):

Informed Choice ◽

Food Products ◽

Food Labelling ◽

Food Label ◽

Labelling Information ◽

Packaged Foods ◽

Prepackaged Foods ◽

And Gender ◽

Packaged Food ◽

Study Participants

Purpose – Liberalization of trade, globalization and development in food science and technology has resulted in an increase in trade and consumption of pre-packaged foods. Reading food labelling information is important to assist in making informed choices of food. This study determined level of awareness on pre-packaged food labelling information among consumers in Anand city of Gujarat, India, their perception on the importance of such information and various factors influencing in reading and using food labels. Design/methodology/approach – A semi structured questionnaire was used to collect information from consumers who were found purchasing prepackaged foods in selected modern format retail stores. The obtained data were computed to determine relationships and associations between various factors and the use of food labelling information among consumers in the area of study. Findings – Study revealed that 86.7 per cent of the study participants reported to read labeling information prior purchase of pre-packaged foods. However, only a third of respondents were very much informed about food labelling and computed awareness scores. It was observed that level of education and gender difference had statistically significant association with awareness scores and perception of importance of food labelling. 83.3 per cent of respondents mentioned price of food as the factor for motivating them to read food label before purchase of the food item. Practical implications – Deliberate efforts may be needed to improve food labelling, provide education to consumers to raise their awareness on importance of reading and use of food labelling information to make an informed choice of the food. Originality/value – Determines level of awareness about labelling information among consumers of pre-packaged food products.

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Consumer awareness of the use of food labels in Lagos state, Nigeria

International Journal of Food Studies ◽

10.7455/ijfs.v8i2.588 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Samuel T. Danilola ◽

Olubunmi A. Omotesho ◽

Jubril Animashaun

Keyword(s):

Food Safety ◽

Safety Information ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Primary Data ◽

Food Labels ◽

Food Label ◽

Research Attention ◽

Awareness Campaigns ◽

Lagos State ◽

Packaged Food

The increase in relative level of education and the growing middle-class income earners in Nigeria have made packaged food items attractive to consumers. These foods provide handy, nutritious and convenient food for consumers; however, they also come with public health concerns. From a policy perspective, food labelling can gauge consumers’ response to the safety conditions of packaged food. However, understanding consumers’ awareness and the use of food label information has attracted little research attention in many developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, we investigate consumers’ awareness of the use of food safety labels in Lagos state, Nigeria. We used primary data collected using pretested structured questionnaire from 220 food shoppers who bought pre-packaged foods. A two-stage sampling technique was used to select the respondents. Consumers’ awareness and use of food safety information was revealed using descriptive statistics; Ordinal Regression Analysis was used to examine the socioeconomic factors determining the frequency of reading food safety labels. The study therefore recommends that there should be continuous awareness campaigns on the importance of food labels in ensuring safety and food producers should make sure their food labels are legible.

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Study of Animal-Based Food Product Labeling use

Buletin Peternakan ◽

10.21059/buletinpeternak.v43i2.26102 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 43 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Candra Pungki Wibowo ◽

Suci Paramitasari Syahlani ◽

Sudi Nurtini

Keyword(s):

Food Product ◽

Food Products ◽

Health Condition ◽

Food Labeling ◽

Food Labels ◽

Food Label ◽

Adequate Knowledge ◽

Time Availability ◽

Potential Risks ◽

And Gender

This study was conducted to identify the food labeling profile in animal-based food products based on consumers’ age and gender, consumers’ preference of the information provided in the label, consumers’ behavior in reading the label, and consumers’ knowledge about food labeling. A total of 100 respondents participated in the study. The sampling was done by using judgmental sampling method with the following criteria: (1) respondent has bought animal-based food products within the last month of the study; (2) respondent’s age was over 18 years old. The data were analyzed descriptively and by using regression analysis. The results showed that female respondents and a group of 50 years or older respondents were used to read the food label frequently compared to other respondent groups. The type of information which considered as the most important was the expiration date, followed by product’s name, ingredients, halal status, nutritional value, product’s instruction for usage and its irregularities, net weight, and the producer’s name and address. This study also identified that the majority of the respondents, as many as 67%, already had good knowledge about food labels, while the other 32% had adequate knowledge, and only 1% of the respondents had a little knowledge about food labels. It can be concluded that consumers’ perception of the potential risks on animal-based food products affect their behaviour in reading the label (p<0.05) while consumers’ health condition and time availability to buy the products did not affect their behaviour in reading the label in animal based food products.

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Consumer Knowledge about Food Labeling and Fraud

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10051095 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 1095

Author(s):

Maria João Moreira ◽

Juan García-Díez ◽

José M. M. M. de Almeida ◽

Cristina Saraiva

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Meat Products ◽

Principal Component ◽

Food Composition ◽

Food Labeling ◽

Consumer Knowledge ◽

Food Labels ◽

Food Label ◽

Food Fraud ◽

Different Types

Food fraud is a growing problem and happens in many ways including mislabelling. Since lack of consumers’ knowledge about mandatory food labeling information and different types of food fraud may impact public health, the present work assesses consumers’ knowledge about these issues. Principal component analysis was performed to obtain a smaller number of uncorrelated factors regarding the usefulness and confidence of information displayed in food labels and the perception of food fraud. Results indicated that information displayed in food labels is useful, however the way it is presented may decrease consumer interest and understanding. Regarding respondents’ confidence in foodstuffs, over half of them stated that information provided in food labels is reliable. However, a lack of confidence about food composition is observed in those processed foodstuffs such as meat products. Food fraud is recognized by more than half of respondents with a higher perception of those practices that imply a risk to public health than those related to economic motivation. Age and education of consumers influenced the perception of the information displayed in the food labels, their confidence and knowledge about food fraud. Implementation of education programs to increase consumer knowledge about food labelling and fraud is essential. Respondents’ perception results could be use as guidelines by the food industry to improve food label design in order to enhance consumer understanding.

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Gambaran Tingkat Kepatuhan Membaca Label Pangan pada Mahasiswa Fakultas Sainsdan Teknologi Universitas Al Azhar Indonesia

JURNAL Al-AZHAR INDONESIA SERI SAINS DAN TEKNOLOGI ◽

10.36722/sst.v5i3.378 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 151

Author(s):

Dina Widiawati ◽

Ema Komalasari

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Data Collection ◽

Science And Technology ◽

Food Labels ◽

Food Label ◽

Consumer Awareness ◽

Collection Method ◽

Data Collection Method ◽

Data Collection Team

Abstrak-Kesadaran konsumen dalam membaca label pangan dan untuk memahami isi label pangan masih sangat rendah. Diperlukan analisis mengenai tingkat kepatuhan mahasiswa dalam membaca label pangan, sehingga mahasiswa memiliki pemahaman yang lebih baik terhadap label pangan. Responden pada penelitian ini adalah mahasiswa dari Fakultas Sains dan Teknologi Universitas Al Azhar Indonesia angkatan 2015-2018. Metode pengambilan data pada penelitian ini adalah melalui kuisioner. Responden akan mengisi sendiri kuisioner yang diberikan dengan mengikuti instruksi yang akan dijelaskan sebelum pengisian kuisioner oleh tim pengambil data. Responden pada penelitian ini berjumlah 90 orang dengan jumlah perempuan 53,33% dan laki-laki 46,67%. Pengetahuan responden mengenai label pangan ada pada kategori baik yaitu 82,22% dan kategori cukup 17,78%. Sedangkan untuk tingkat kepatuhan, responden yang memiliki tingkat kepatuhan tertinggi berada pada kategori cukup yaitu 61,11%, kategori baik 36,67%, dan kategori kurang 2,22%. Data pada penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa pengetahuan responden mengenai label pangan ada pada kategori baik dan tingkat kepatuhan dalam membaca label pangan ada pada kategori cukup.Abstract- Consumer awareness in reading food labels and understanding the contents of food labels are still very low. An analysis is needed on the level of student compliance in reading food labels, so students have a better understanding of food labels. Respondents in this study were students from the Faculty of Science and Technology of Al Azhar University Indonesia class of 2015-2018. The data collection method in this study was through a questionnaire. Respondent’s will fill in the questionnaire given themselves by following the instructions that will be explained before filling out the questionnaire by the data collection team. Respondents in this study numbered 90 people with 53,33% women and 46,67% men. Respondents knowledge about food labels is in the good category that is 82,22% and 17,78% enough category. As for the level of adherence, respondents who had the highest level of adherence were in the sufficient category, namely 61,11%, the good category 36,67%, and the less 2,22% category. The data in this study indicate that respondents' knowledge about food labels is in the good category and the level of compliance in reading food labels is in the sufficient category.Keywords–Food Label, Food Label Knowledge, Decision-Making,Level of Compliance

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Declaration of nutrition information on and nutritional quality of Thai ready-to-eat packaged food products

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980017003792 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (8) ◽

pp. 1409-1417 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Suladda Pongutta ◽

Pitipa Chongwatpol ◽

Parwin Tantayapirak ◽

Stefanie Vandevijvere

Keyword(s):

Nutritional Quality ◽

Food Products ◽

Health Claims ◽

Nutrition Information ◽

Nutrient Profile ◽

Profile Model ◽

Health Related ◽

Packaged Foods ◽

Packaged Food

AbstractObjectiveThe present study assessed the nutrition information displayed on ready-to-eat packaged foods and the nutritional quality of those food products in Thailand.DesignIn March 2015, the nutrition information panels and nutrition and health claims on ready-to-eat packaged foods were collected from the biggest store of each of the twelve major retailers, using protocols developed by the International Network for Food and Obesity/Non-communicable Diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support (INFORMAS). The Thai Nutrient Profile Model was used to classify food products according to their nutritional quality as ‘healthier’ or ‘less healthy’.ResultsIn total, information from 7205 food products was collected across five broad food categories. Out of those products, 5707 (79·2 %), 2536 (35·2 %) and 1487 (20·6 %) carried a nutrition facts panel, a Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) label and health-related claims, respectively. Only 4691 (65·1 %) and 2484 (34·5 %) of the products that displayed the nutrition facts or a GDA label, respectively, followed the guidelines of the Thai Food and Drug Administration. In total, 4689 products (65·1 %) could be classified according to the Thai Nutrient Profile Model, of which 432 products (9·2 %) were classified as healthier. Moreover, among the 1487 products carrying health-related claims, 1219 (82·0 %) were classified as less healthy. Allowing less healthy food products to carry claims could mislead consumers and result in overconsumption of ready-to-eat food products.ConclusionsThe findings suggest effective policies should be implemented to increase the relative availability of healthier ready-to-eat packaged foods, as well as to improve the provision of nutrition information on labels in Thailand.

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A comparison of the Health Star Rating and nutrient profiles of branded and generic food products in Sydney supermarkets, Australia

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980019000508 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 22 (11) ◽

pp. 2132-2139 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Dong Hun Kim ◽

Wing Gi Amanda Liu ◽

Anna Rangan ◽

Luke Gemming

Keyword(s):

Statistical Difference ◽

Saturated Fat ◽

Food Products ◽

Nutritional Content ◽

Star Rating ◽

Nutritional Profile ◽

Packaged Foods ◽

Generic Products ◽

Nutrient Profiles ◽

Packaged Food

AbstractObjectiveTo compare the Health Star Rating (HSR) and the nutritional profile of branded and generic packaged foods in Australia.DesignIn-store audits of packaged food products capturing data on HSR and nutritional content to analyse differences between branded and generic foods across ten food categories.SettingThe audit was conducted in four major supermarket chains across various locations within metropolitan Sydney regions, Australia.ResultsA total of 6269 products were analysed with 57 % of generic products and 28 % of branded products displaying an HSR. The median HSR of branded products was significantly greater than for generic products overall (4·0 v. 3·5, P<0·005) and in six out of ten food categories (P<0·005). However, when branded products could be matched to their generic counterparts for paired comparisons (n 146), no statistical difference was observed in all ten food categories. Branded products that chose to display an HSR had significantly lower saturated fat and Na, but higher fibre contents than branded products not displaying an HSR.ConclusionsOur data show no difference in the HSR or nutrient profiles of similar branded and generic products that display HSR. Branded products appear to exploit the voluntary nature of the HSR scheme, preferentially displaying an HSR on healthier products compared with their generic counterparts.

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The average Irish consumer a packaged food profile

British Food Journal ◽

10.1108/bfj-02-2015-0063 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 117 (11) ◽

pp. 2801-2813 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Meave Broderick ◽

Agnes Bouchier-Hayes ◽

Tracey Larkin

Keyword(s):

Food Choice ◽

Food Preferences ◽

Food Products ◽

Data Sets ◽

Content Type ◽

Nutrition Claims ◽

Packaged Foods ◽

The Republic ◽

And Cluster Analysis ◽

Packaged Food

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of the average Irish consumer (AIC) of preferences that drive food choice and purchasing of packaged foods. Design/methodology/approach – A number of Irish consumer studies have been carried out and most notably by An Bord Bia. Purchasing and Eating in the Republic of Ireland (PERIscope) investigates Irish consumer food preferences from 2009-2013, based on data obtained from +1,000 people in Ireland. Frequency analysis of these data sets was used to generate majority findings and preference attributes from which to propose a profile of the AIC. Component and cluster analysis was applied to investigate potential relationships between preference attributes and the significance of these relationships. Findings – The AIC is a female to whom price is a priority in food choice and prefers foods that are quick and easy to prepare. The AIC checks foods labels, looks for the low-fat option, but has difficulty understanding nutrition claims and labels. The AIC buys local produce at least monthly, believes local food has less artificial/preservative ingredients and checks for the country of origin on food products. The AIC is conscious of environmental issues and prefers to buy from companies that are environmentally friendly. The AIC buys food in smaller packs as it means less waste, is possibly more convenient and lower priced. Originality/value – It is the aim of this publication to provide a profile of the AIC to assist food companies in understanding and targeting the consumers of their products when developing packaged food products.

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Comparative practices of food label claims from US, EU and selected Southeast Asian countries

Journal of Consumer Marketing ◽

10.1108/jcm-10-2014-1191 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 32 (7) ◽

pp. 530-541 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

May O. Lwin

Keyword(s):

Southeast Asia ◽

Food Products ◽

Southeast Asian ◽

Food Labels ◽

Food Label ◽

Asian Countries ◽

Content Type ◽

Wide Range ◽

The Usa ◽

Southeast Asian Countries

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to fulfil gaps in knowledge regarding food packaging practices in Southeast Asia by examining the informational content of food labels on a variety of packaged foods. Design/methodology/approach – Using local and imported food products found in supermarkets in Singapore, a quantitative content analysis of food label claims in a wide range of packaged food products was conducted. A codebook was developed to capture the attributes of the food labels and claims, content categories, product names, food categories, sources of manufacture and countries of brand origin. The three main regions of analysis of country of manufacture were the USA, European Union (EU) and Southeast Asia. Findings – Analysis of food products manufactured in five Southeast Asian countries revealed the presence of various claims in food products, and a number of specific claims exceeded the percentages found in products from the USA or EU. The results showed that a significant proportion of products from Southeast Asian countries display nutrient content and nutrient function claims, as well as general marketing claims and non-nutrient claims. However, there were variations in practice amongst the five Southeast Asian countries. Research limitations/implications – The sample was limited in being collected from one geographic location. Future research needs to expand data collection both geographically and longitudinally. Practical implications – The findings are valuable for the national health authorities in addressing policies on food package labelling, and homogenization efforts pertaining to regional/international labelling policies. These in turn could influence food marketing practices. Social implications – The findings are useful in crafting educational programming and guidelines for health and nutrition education. Originality/value – This research is the first to explore food labelling practices in multiple Southeast Asian countries and compare them cross-sectionally with EU and US practices.

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Labelling completeness and sodium content of packaged foods in India

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980017001987 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 20 (16) ◽

pp. 2839-2846 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Claire Johnson ◽

Sudhir Raj Thout ◽

Sailesh Mohan ◽

Elizabeth Dunford ◽

Clare Farrand ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Products ◽

Sodium Content ◽

Nutritional Composition ◽

Food Groups ◽

Indian Government ◽

Safety Standards ◽

Department Of Health ◽

Packaged Foods ◽

The Uk ◽

Packaged Food

AbstractObjectiveTo estimate the proportion of products meeting Indian government labelling regulations and to examine the Na levels in packaged foods sold in India.DesignNutritional composition data were collected from the labels of all packaged food products sold at Indian supermarkets in between 2012 and 2014. Proportions of products compliant with the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations and labelled with Na content, and mean Na levels were calculated. Comparisons were made against 2010 data from Hyderabad and against the UK Department of Health (DoH) 2017 Na targets.SettingEleven large chain retail stores in Delhi and Hyderabad, India.SubjectsPackaged food products (n 5686) categorised into fourteen food groups, thirty-three food categories and ninety sub-categories.ResultsMore packaged food products (43 v. 34 %; P<0·001) were compliant with FSSAI regulations but less (32 v. 38 %; P<0·001) reported Na values compared with 2010. Food groups with the highest Na content were sauces and spreads (2217 mg/100 g) and convenience foods (1344 mg/100 g). Mean Na content in 2014 was higher in four food groups compared with 2010 and lower in none (P<0·05). Only 27 % of foods in sub-categories for which there are UK DoH benchmarks had Na levels below the targets.ConclusionsCompliance with nutrient labelling in India is improving but remains low. Many packaged food products have high levels of Na and there is no evidence that Indian packaged foods are becoming less salty.

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