The proportion of consumers who understand nutrition information on labels is “considerably higher” than those that actually read and make use of it, according to research.
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A study conducted by the European Food Information Council (EUFIC) and Professor Klaus Grunert of Aarhus University in Denmark revealed that the understanding of nutrition information seems to be more widespread than actual use and that there are “considerable” differences between consumers in different countries in both the understanding and use of nutrition labelling.
The research suggests that low use of nutrition labelling could be explained by a lack of motivation among consumers to use the information rather than by their inability to understand and interpret the information.
It also found that the understanding of GDA labels was “high” in the UK, Sweden and Germany, while “lower” in the other countries (France, Poland and Hungary). Some of the differences, the study noted, may be attributed to the public debate about the role of nutrition labelling at a national level, and penetration of GDA labels in those countries.
In addition to country-specific differences, differences in interest in healthy eating, nutrition knowledge and social grade were shown to affect the understanding and use of nutrition labels.
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By GlobalDataThe results were based on a survey of consumers in the UK, Sweden, France, Germany, Poland and Hungary who were observed at major retailers in their respective countries when shopping in six product categories; breakfast cereals, soft drinks, confectionery, ready meals, salty snacks and yoghurts.
Field researchers recorded whether shoppers looked at the front or elsewhere on pack or did not look at all at the information on the pack before putting it in the basket.
The in-store observations were followed by in-store interviews (11,800) on their purchase choices.
Across the categories, 17% of shoppers looked for nutrition information mainly on the nutrition table, GDA label or the ingredients list. The information for which the consumers most frequently searched was on calories, fat and sugar content.
