Around 72% of UK consumers are familiar with Guideline Daily Amount labelling (GDAs), according to research by food and grocery think tank IGD.
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The majority of consumers understand the concept and can identify which products are high, medium or low in a particular nutrient using GDAs, the research suggests. The results come amid an increased focus on food labelling sparked by new labelling proposals in the recent Public Health White Paper.
GDAs, first published in 1998, are used widely throughout the UK food and grocery industry, where they are illustrated on the back of pack next to the Nutrition Panel. GDAs are provided for men and women and inform them of the average daily amount of fat and calories to consume if they wish to maintain their current weight. By comparing the fat and calorie content per serving in the nutrition panel with the GDA people can see how it fits into their overall diet.
The GDA acts as a guide rather than a target and is recommended by nutrition professionals for average adults. For example, the GDA for fat for a man is 95g per day; for women it is 70g. The calorie GDA is 2,000 per day for women and 2,500 per day for men.
IGD’s consumer research found that 72% of consumers have seen GDAs and 34% use them regularly to identify which products are high or low in fat and calories. They liked to have the information that enabled them to put nutrition information into context. Of the 28% that have never seen them 10% thought they would be useful in the future.
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By GlobalData“It is encouraging that consumers are aware of and find current GDA labelling useful. GDAs give people an idea of what they should aim to consume in their diet. IGD’s working group will continue to work with consumers and representatives from all sectors of the industry to further develop GDAs and ensure that they continue to address consumer needs,” said IGD chief executive Joanne Denney-Finch.
“However it is important to recognise that labelling alone will not address the health challenge. IGD research shows that the majority of people (61%) believe their diet is always healthy and would not seek to change it. Labels can not change the nation’s eating habits, but they can help to communicate broader dietary messages and help consumers to make informed choices. To be successful labels must be consistent across the industry, they must be clear and simple and most of all they must not be confusing or mislead consumers,” she added.
In 1998 fat and calories were the most looked for nutrition information. IGD’s ongoing consumer research shows that fat and calories are still the most looked for on labels (27% and 15% of consumers respectively look for these).
For a copy of the GDA Guidelines, click here.
To find out more about IGD research, available through just-food.com, click here.
