Usage and understanding of food labels among Lebanese shoppers

Food labelling is a population‐based approach to health education that enables consumers to make better choices by providing information at the point of purchase. This study aimed to assess the food label usage and understanding and factors affecting them among Lebanese supermarket shoppers. A cross‐sectional study was conducted among 748 supermarket shoppers in Lebanon between December 2013 and February 2014 using a pre‐coded structured questionnaire. About 29.3 of the shoppers check the food labels every time they buy a food product and 15.7% never do it. Shoppers who do not read food labels identified the long time needed in reading them as top reason (34.9%), while 9.8% answered that they do not understand them. About 55.4%of the surveyed shoppers read the food labels at the supermarkets. About 44.4% of participants agreed that reading food labels is very important, while 30.3% read the food labels depending on the purchased product. Then 19.4% of participants complained that food labels contain too much information and 13.8% claimed that food labels are difficult to understand. About 60.3% think that food labels have helped people in changing their eating habits, while health and nutrition claims affected the product selection among 59.8% of participants. The food label knowledge score average was 63.1%. Older, obese shoppers having kids, suffering from chronic illness or allergies, following a specific diet and residing in big cities scored significantly (p < .05) higher. The low knowledge score necessitates the nutrition education on how to read and use the food labels. Groceries would be the perfect place to reach out mass consumers.     

The Effect of Organic Food Labels on Consumer Attention

This paper aims to reveal consumer perceptions of organic food with a special emphasis on the labelling of organic products. The objectives were to find out, whether or not a significant difference between men´s and women´s perception existed. Two groups (88 subjects in the experimental group, 59 subjects in the control group) were shown various food labels; with organic product labelling (experimental) and without (control). Results suggest the importance of organic labelling using eye-tracking data and additional in-depth interviews to discover the importance of the labelling for participants. Based on eye-tracking data, the greatest visual attention was paid to product brand, graphic elements and organic labelling claims with additional information, such as a quantity or flavour, also being important. Additional in-depth interviews discovered that labelling, particularly of the origin, is important for most consumers. Contrary to what was expected, eye-tracking showed very little difference in the perception of organic product labelling based on gender. Although organic food is being purchased by more people, 50% of participants mentioned, during interviews, that they buy organic food only occasionally. The combination of eye-tracking and in-depth interviews shows that organic product labelling can play a role in decision-making, but regardless 27% of participants do not care about the organic quality labels or don’t pay attention to them.     

Are nutrition labels useful for the purchase of a familiar food? Evidence from Chinese consumers�� purchase of rice

Nutrition labeling has been accepted by Chinese consumers as an information source to learn about food quality and safety. This paper uses Chinese consumers’ rice purchase as an example to study how consumers use food nutrition labels to make purchase decision of a familiar food product. The goal is to understand how consumers seek information from the labels to make purchase when extensive experience with the food has been developed. Survey data from 400 random respondents in Beijing were analyzed using an empirical framework and a Mont Carlo integral econometrics model. We find that more than 50% of the consumers in Beijing have heard of food nutrition labels in general, 36.50% carefully use label information even if they are familiar with the food, and nearly 70% consider mandatory food nutrition labels as beneficial. Those who are more knowledgeable about rice nutrition labels are more likely to use the labels when purchasing rice, no matter how familiar they are with the product. Frequent users of nutrition labels are more likely to consider food mandatory nutrition labels as beneficial. This study suggests that consumers still use the label information to reassure the quality and safety of food despite a history of consumption.     

Use and knowledge of food labels of shoppers in a city with a high proportion of heart disease

This study aimed to assess consumers’ use and understanding of food labelling and the improvements that they would like. Systematically selected supermarket shoppers were interviewed using a questionnaire. Data showed that the use of food labels was low. Among those who read food labels, at least occasionally, use‐by‐date was the most reported information looked at. Understanding of the content of five nutrients on a standard food label provided was poor. Although a high proportion of participants claimed to have no problem with the current format, those who had problems wanted food labels that were ‘bigger’, ‘highlighted’ or written in ‘plain English’. These results suggest that before improved food labels can have an impact on consumers’ food choice, strategies to encourage shoppers to read them are needed.     

Meat labels: consumer attitude and meat consumption pattern

This paper addressed consumers’ attitude towards food labels and the influence of different aspects of meat labels on beef, poultry and seafood consumption using data from a national survey in the USA. Approximately 70% of the respondents reported that food labels helped in the purchases of beef and other meat products. While 50% thought that the present level of information on meat labels was about right, about 30% thought that it was insufficient. Similarly, 80, 81, 60, and 80% of the respondents thought that it was very important that meat labels contain information regarding nutrition, ingredients, health claim, and production process respectively. Those respondents who thought that nutrition and ingredient information on food labels were very important also thought that meat labels helped them select beef and other meat products. Consumer preferences for nutrition and ingredient information on food labels were positively related with meat consumption frequency.     

An exploration of the influence of food labels on South African consumers' purchasing behaviour

New labelling legislation in South Africa is expected to help consumers sustain a healthy lifestyle through the food choices they make. This study was undertaken to explore a sample of South African consumers' reasons for reading labels and the influence of food labels on their purchasing behaviour. The study was conducted using focus group discussions held with label reading consumers in Potchefstroom in the North West Province of South Africa. Findings suggested that these participants read food labels to assess the nutritional value, personal benefits, health attributes and product quality. Various purchasing influences were also identified, suggesting that consumers are in some cases motivated by food labels to purchase a product, or may be unresponsive to the label or indifferent by being aware of the information but not reluctant to buy a product that does not indicate essential information. Several indirect consideration factors such as situational factors (e.g. family), extrinsic (e.g. price) and intrinsic (e.g. taste) may contribute to the purchasing behaviour of some consumers. These findings are useful to propose a perceptual model of the way in which food labels influence purchasing behaviour of a sample of South African consumers and explain the role of food labels in the purchasing decision of label‐reading consumers. This information is especially significant for new packaging and labelling initiatives as it highlights the reasons why label‐reading South African consumers read label information.     

Analysis of Snack Food Purchasing and Consumption Behavior

This exploratory research examines the purchasing and consumption behavior of snack food consumers. A structured questionnaire and intercept interviews were used to collect quantitative data from respondents inside supermarket stores. For marketers, a key contribution of this study is the importance of the price attribute and certain product claims. Sugar and total fat were found to be the most important nutritional factors that consumers consider when making a purchase decision, but it was also found that only around one half of all consumers actually read product labels when purchasing snack foods. Matters of particular concern that are highlighted by this study are that one third of consumers do not consider their snacking behavior to be healthy, and one quarter of consumers choose to snack in secret. This study addressed a number of gaps in current knowledge by identifying the snack food products that are most frequently consumed, the reasons for consuming snacks, whether consumers read snack food product labels, the importance of various attributes and product claims, whether consumers regard their snacking behavior to be healthy, and whether they snack in secret.     

Consumer concern and behaviour regarding food and health in Norway

This study was undertaken to answer four questions. How widespread is the interest in health issues related to food among consumers in Norway? What types of food-related health risks are the consumers concerned about? How is the concern expressed among different groups and subgroups of the population? How is the interest in food and health expressed in terms of food behaviour? The paper is built on results from two nationwide consumer surveys in Norway: one telephone interview including 1,021 persons and one postal questionnaire including 13,857 persons. The data revealed that 72% of the consumers were very or rather concerned that the food they eat could be harmful to health. Contrary to results from some other studies, the majority of the Norwegian consumers (57%) were mostly concerned that the food they eat could contain too much fat. Even though the fat issue attracted most attention, many were also concerned about food additives (39%) and contaminants from environmental pollution (43%). Logistic regression analyses showed that the expression of concern is different in various subgroups of the population, divided according to age, income, education and place of residence, Data on food behaviour confirmed the heavy emphasis that consumers put on the fat issue and on additives in food.     

Consumers’ Opinions and Use of Food Labels,Nutrition, and Health Claims: Results from Turkey

This study was conducted to reveal Turkish consumers’ (18–65 years residing 10 cities, n = 1200) opinions and use of food labels, nutrition, and health claims. The majority of both females and males (64.7%, 68.2%) seldom read food labels. Risk for not paying attention to food labels was increased 1.287-fold when the gender was male. The percentage of reading food labels increases as education and income levels of individuals increase (p < 0.05). Expiry dates of foods were the most frequent read item on labels (58.0%). Males mostly read information on label to learn the price of the food (71.0%) while females read it to learn the energy value of food (79.0%). Females had more knowledge on nutrition claims compared to males (p < 0.05). The nutrition claims, which were most frequently read by females and males, were trans fat free (23.5%, 21.0%) and low fat/fat free (23.3%, 20.5%). The claim organic was paid most attention on fruit and vegetables (52.0%). The claim “low cholesterol contributes to maintenance of cardiovascular-health” was the most common health claim read. In summary, Turkish consumer’s behaviour of reading labels and nutrition-health claims could change according to some sociodemographic factors and food products.     

Food retailers' perceptions of older consumers in Northern Ireland

Demographic changes' occurring in developed countries has meant that older consumers are becoming an increasingly important consumer segment that retailers need to pay particular attention to. It is essential that their specific needs within the food and other service sectors are met, as food plays an important role in their social well‐being. Very little research has focused upon the extent to which retailers meet their demands and particular needs. The aim of this study, as part of a wider study on older consumers, is to address this lack of information by examining the level of awareness held by food retail management as to the needs of older consumers (60+ years old) and the problems that they encounter while shopping. Qualitative data were collected using face‐to‐face interviews with retail managers (n = 5) from food retailers in Northern Ireland. These were analysed according to Gillham's content analysis guide. Food retailers stated they were aware of the issues older consumers face and recognize their importance as a growing consumer segment; however, there would appear to be relatively little actual consideration/evidence of them meeting their needs. All interviewees expressed an interest in improving the food shopping experiences of older consumers, and were keen to make an increased effort towards this segment of the population, but these were often not put into practice. In order to overcome the problems faced by older consumers and strengthen the food shopping experience for this age group, it is suggested that retail management make practical changes to improve in‐store facilities, increase affordability of food products and home delivery services, and enhance customer communication.     

Vendor Hygienic Practices and Consumer Perception of Food Safety during the Carnival festival on the island of Tobago,West Indies

Local festivals are usually the highlights on the small island, Tobago, West Indies. The street vendors capitalized on the Carnival season where they provide a variety of foods and beverages on‐demand for masqueraders and spectators. Therefore, this study examined food safety and hygienic practices by vendors and consumer perception of such practices at the Carnival festivals in Tobago. Standard structured questionnaires and observational checklists were compiled and administered to 50 vendors and 150 consumers at five Carnival events. Each vendor was observed for frequency of practices for 15–20 min. Consumers were sampled systematically (every fifth person encountered) at each event. The vendors examined were generally female (70.0%), 41–50 years old (34.0%), possessed less than primary education (36.0%), acquired more than 5 years of experience (44.0%) and were stationary (78.0%). The most common food prepared and sold was hot dog (36.0% of all sold foods). Educated vendors practised good personal hygiene and on‐site food handling, whereas the others performed improper practices such as absence of aprons and hair covering, wearing of jewellery and handling money while serving. Also, vendors displaying valid food badges generally practised more proper personal hygiene and food handling than those without badges. The majority of the consumers examined were residents of Tobago (80.0%), female (74.7%), 21–30 years old (39.3%) and possessed secondary education (53.3%). More than half of the consumers purchased foods at Carnival events (57.3%). Most (82.7%) who did not purchase stored foods in coolers. More than half (58.0%) had seen or read Carnival food safety articles in the local newspapers and most (96.0%) were aware that illnesses can be transmitted via consumption of food. Additionally, 42 out of 74 respondents (56.8%), who indicated that they were affected by foodborne illness, sought medical help when foodborne illness was suspected. However, a mere 13 out of 74 consumers (17.6%), who indicated that they were affected by foodborne illness, lodged reports of suspected foodborne illness with the local health authority. Younger consumers (21–30 years old) mostly read food safety articles and were conscious of illness being transmitted via consumption of food. In addition, the more educated consumers (tertiary education) indicated awareness as well as formal reporting of foodborne illness. Some gaps in vendor practices included handling of money while serving (78.0%), failure to clean utensils (68.0%) and access to water (48.0%). Noteworthy, only visual observation and interviews were utilized in the study.     

Green decisions: demographics and consumer understanding of environmental labels

This research examined the demographic profiles of Australian green consumers in relation to their satisfaction of environmental labelling. It examined consumers’ understanding of labelling and empirically investigated the association of demographic profile of consumers with their attitudes towards such labels. The results indicated that some of the demographic variables were significant, which is largely consistent with earlier findings by other researchers in this area. Label dissatisfaction was higher in the older and middle age respondents. However, some respondents disagreed that labels were accurate while commenting that labels were easy to understand. The key issue arising from the findings is that in order to provide perception of accuracy in labels, it is an option to use Type I or Type III labelling on products. These labels are, arguably, more credible because they are endorsed by third party labelling experts. This would come at a cost and for green products that use third party labelling, they will also have to bear in mind to keep the prices competitive.     

Communicating Sensory Attributes and Innovation Through Food Product Labeling

This article explores the influence of food product packaging on consumers’ sensory expectations and perceived newness of the product. Two experiments examine to what extent consumers use product typicality, graphical representations, and package typicality in evaluating new food products. Study 1 finds that (1) a typical flavor induces more positive expectations of pleasantness, taste, color, and smell, and (2) the presence of graphic representation on product labels increases perceived pleasantness but does not affect sensory expectations. Study 2 indicates that the product seems newer in the absence of a package (label-only condition), but when the product packaging is presented, an atypical package conveys more newness than a typical package. These results provide practical guidelines for the design and introduction of innovative food products.     

Young consumers’ food preferences within selected sectors of the Hospitality Spectrum

In society, young consumers are influenced by an array of factors within their home, school and social environments. The adolescent period is one in which the individual becomes a more independent consumer, exerting increased degrees of independence and a subsequent freedom of preference. Such independence may be particularly apparent within the social environment, despite young consumers generally being categorized under the ‘family market’, within the Hospitality Spectrum. The aim of the study was to analyse young consumers’ food preferences within the home, school and social environments, with particular reference to the role of the Hospitality Spectrum. Young consumers for the study, are defined as being between 11 and 16 years, segmented into two age groups: 11–13 years and 14–16 years. The selected sectors of the Hospitality Spectrum which were studied, were the fast food service and school canteen sectors. In order to fulfil the research aim and objectives, a range of research instruments and analysis techniques were used. The results of the study to date would illustrate that tentative steps have been taken within the school and fast food sectors, to bridge the ‘gaps’ between business supply and consumer preferences. Gender differences were found in food selections within school canteens and fast food establishments, with females more likely to select ‘British’ styled fast foods at school and males more likely to select ethnic foods at fast‐food establishments. No significant differences were found between the two age segments. It is vital that the increasingly important role of the young consumer segment is recognized, in particular considering them as individuals rather than as a part of the ‘total’ family consumer package. However, in market segmentation young consumers are an important consumer group and it must not be overlooked that they will be the future adult consumers. The Hospitality Spectrum must therefore treat this group with respect for the consumer service industry to achieve its full potential. The results of this Northern Ireland study indicates that although the young consumer segment is viewed as important within the selected sectors of the Hospitality Spectrum, the extent of their full potential has yet to be recognized.     

Household Food Consumption and Quality Differentiation in Demand System: An Approach for Endogenous Prices

The authors surveyed consumers for preferences on allergen advisory statements on food labels (N = 1,243). They also conducted an experiment to assess how consumers use advisory statements (N = 4,049) to make food consumption decisions. Results show that food allergic individuals, including caregivers to food allergic individuals, and a control group of nonallergic people preferred “Allergen Information: May Contain …” over three other statements tested. The experiment revealed measurable differences among the statements in how they are used to make food consumption decisions. Statements rated as more believable and more helpful also received higher ratings on a “likelihood of eating/serving” measure.     

Effects on Nutrition Label Regulation on Consumer Choice

The U.S. government initiated food labeling reform in 1989, which culminated with the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of 1990, emphasizing the provision of improved nutrition information on most food products. The goal of such labeling reform has been to provide consistent, readable, understandable and usable food labels that enable consumers to make more healthful food choices. This paper examines the theoretical impact of the new regulations on consumer food choice behavior. The paper first discusses the use and impact of food labels by/on consumers, and uses a choice model to desribe the effects of these new labels on consumer food choice decisions. In particular, the research focuses on two important food attributes, and the presence of information of these attributes through the new nutrition labels, which may influence consumer purchase behavior.     

Consumers' perceptions and awareness of safe food preparation practices at homes in Trinidad,West Indies

The objectives were to evaluate consumer perception and awareness of safe food preparation practices at homes. A questionnaire was self‐administered to 124 consumers who were primarily responsible for preparation of foods and owned a refrigerator at home. Data were analysed by frequencies and chi‐square. Most (97.6%) consumers considered safe food practices as ‘very important’. Few (8.9%) related Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point to safe food preparation practices. Microbiological hazard was ranked as a most serious threat to food safety (80.5%). Salmonella was most well known (79.8%). Diarrhoea (23.7%) was a common symptom of food‐borne illness. More than 50% would ‘always’ check for expiry dates on labels, seals and would never purchase swollen cans. Only 48.4% consumers used separate cutting boards for meats and vegetables ‘always’. Some (6.5%) felt it was appropriate to give unfit food to someone else. The study identified critical points in safe food preparation practices for effective public health education.     

Price rather than nutrition information the main influencer of consumer food purchasing behaviour in South Africa: A qualitative study

In South Africa there has been a paucity of data on food and nutrition labelling since the publication of the new food‐labelling legislation. This study aimed to explore whether the nutrition information on food products influences consumer purchasing behaviour; reasons for reading or ignoring nutrition information on labels, and to investigate expectations regarding food / nutrition labelling. Nine focus‐group discussions were held with adult consumers (N=67) in Cape Town, South Africa. Food price was sometimes the only consideration when selecting food products, irrespective of quality and nutritional value. When buying products for the first time, consumers were more inclined to read the nutrition information compared to habitual purchases or buying known brands. The list of ingredients, nutrient content claims and specific health endorsement logos were considered important. Reasons for reading nutrition information were mainly to assess the nutritional value or health properties, to avoid certain ingredients/allergens and to determine quality. Consumers struggled to understand the information on labels, specifically the nutrition information table. A lack of time or interest, price concerns and trust in labelling information also emerged as reasons why consumers ignore the nutrition information. There is a need for simpler food labelling, more graphics, and less complex terminology, information overload and quantitative information. It is recommended that a standardised front‐of‐package labelling scheme and a single health endorsement logo for South Africa be considered. More should be done to educate consumers on utilising the information on food labels correctly, in order for them to make healthier food choices.