Do they buy for their dogs the way they buy for themselves?

Motivated by the fact that pet food and pet care is a big business and pet owners in the United States spend more on their pets each year, the objective of this research is to determine whether dog owners buy for their dogs the way they buy for themselves. The data show that dog owners are more loyal to dog food brands than human food brands. Dog owners are also found to be more sensitive to human food price than dog food price. The survey results also show that dog owners are more serious about buying healthy dog food than buying healthy human food. The findings are significant because they suggest that manufacturers and marketers of dog food and vet care service providers can gain some insight about the type of food and medical services dog owners might buy for their dogs by studying dog owners' food and medical service consumption decision patterns. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Nutrition Labels: An Exploratory Study of Consumer Reasons For Nonuse

Studies of consumer usage of nutrition labels required by the Food and Drug Administration have found that usage levels are low. A mailback survey of food shoppers in Madison, Wisconsin was conducted to determine who uses nutrition labels as well as reasons for nonuse. Multiple regression analysis revealed that compared to users, nonusers did not rate themselves as highly on nutrition knowledge, were less likely to plan meals in advance, and were not as highly educated. When asked why they did not use labels, most nonusers said they did not need them, and a sizable group reported their shopping practices pre-empt label usage. Nonusers also felt that a sample label had too much information. When asked to perform computations from sample label information, nonusers were less successful than users. The implications of these findings for nutrition education efforts are discussed.     

Use of Food Labels as a Weight Loss Behavior

This study investigates the use of food labels as a weight loss behavior compared to regular exercise among middle-aged Americans. After controlling for unobserved heterogeneity women were more likely to read food labels than men and also more successful in losing weight. Label users who did not exercise displayed a slightly greater likelihood of weight loss than those who exercised but did not read food labels. Additionally, those who only read labels were more likely to improve their chances of weight loss by adding exercise to their routines rather than abandoning label usage in favor of exercise.     

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.     

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.     

Consumer Utilization of Food Labeling as a Source of Nutrition Information

The factors which influence consumer usage of food labels are investigated by a qualitative response model using the 1987–1988 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey data. Econometric results show that economic, sociodemographic, and consumer health awareness variables are determinants of food label usage. The implications of these findings include formulating government food labeling regulations and consumer educational programs and evaluating consumer health benefits of using food labels.     

Effects of Consumption Frequency on Believability and Attitudes Toward Alcohol Warning Labels

Alcohol consumption frequency and alcohol warning label type are examined for their influence on label believability, attitude toward the label, and attitude confidence. Findings from a convenience sample of students indicate a differential impact among five warning labels on label believability and label attitudes. As expected, frequent alcohol users find the labels to be significantly less believable and less favorable than occasional/nonusers of alcohol. However, occasional/nonusers of alcohol hold more confident attitudes toward the labels than frequent alcohol users.     

Seeing Is Not Believing: Perceptions of Date Labels over Food and Attributes

ABSTRACT

This study investigates consumers’ perceptions of date labels (“Best by” and “Use by”) between different food items (spaghetti sauce and deli meat) and across different attributes (nutrition, quality, safety, and taste). We collected data from experimental auctions and a survey held in cities located in two different regions of the United States. Previous research suggests that confusion over date labels contributes to waste. Thus, we ask respondents to indicate the meaning of date labels for products over attributes. Overall we find that respondents have differing conceptions of date labels by product and over attributes, which reflects confusion over the date labels. However, the differences, while statistically significant, are not large enough to suggest a reversal of perception from agreement to disagreement in the meaning of the date label for specific attributes. The findings question the effectiveness of a two-date label regime to reduce food waste.     

Can we live without cats? Interpreting and expanding on Ellson's question from a cat-lover's perspective

This commentary responds to Tony Ellson's, “Can we live without a dog? Consumption life cycles in dog-owner relationships” from the point of view of a cat owner and her cats. The author discusses cat-related consumption via a life-cycle framework and notes that consumption extends beyond basic food, veterinarian care, pet supplies, and pet services. Stories or vignettes emanating from subjective personal introspection reveal the complexity and intimacy of the cat-owner relationship and the plethora of needs and wants generated as a result of this relationship.     

Who Uses Food Label Information

Abstract

Consumer psychology suggests that fat intake and search for fat information on food labels may be mutually dependent. This study extends previous research by using a simultaneous-equation model to measure the relationship between fat intake and label use. Using the 1994–6 USDA CSII and DHKS data, our results suggest individuals who consume a higher percentage of calories from fat are less likely to report searching for fat information on food labels. We also identified the roles played by several psychological variables on information search and fat intake. These findings have important implications on nutrition education and effectiveness of food labels.     

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.     

Estimating the effects of nutrition label use on Canadian consumer diet‐health concerns using propensity score matching

The overarching goal of nutrition labelling is to transform intrinsic credence attributes into searchable cues, which would enable consumers to make informed food choices at lower search costs. This study estimates the impact of nutrition label usage on Canadian consumers’ (n = 8,114) perceived diet‐health concerns using alternative propensity score matching (PSM) techniques. We apply a series of tests and sensitivity analyses to overcome issues of endogeneity and selection bias frequently found in studies of diet‐health behaviour and to validate the impact of exposure to nutrition facts labels for users vs. non‐users. Our results support the notion that consumer uncertainty and related food‐health concerns are linked to their information behaviour, but not in straightforward manner. Dominant subjective food attributes, such as taste, convenience and affordability, may in fact outweigh the benefits of information about healthier, alternative food choices. In order to change dietary health behaviour, food manufacturer and policy makers alike need to adopt communication instruments that better account for differences in preferences, shopping habits and overall usage patterns of nutrition labelling information.     

Welfare Effects of Food Miles Labels

We assessed the consumer welfare effects of two generic food miles labels: “carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission” label and “time and number of kilometers” label. Using data from a choice experiment, our results generally suggest that a mandatory labeling policy for either type of label would have a positive welfare effect. However, a label informing consumers about the time and number of kilometers the food product has traveled provides greater positive welfare effects than a label informing consumers about the amount of CO₂ emission .     

Facts-up-front: should food companies follow the FDA or industry label format? The effects of combining virtue and vice information on consumer evaluations

This research examines consumers’ processing of Facts-up-front food labels as implemented by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA). Facts-up-front labels include both positive (virtues) and negative (vices) nutritional icons. The processing and relative efficacy of Facts-up-front labels are compared to the original FDA proposal of front-of-pack labels which only included vices. The results suggest heuristic processing of these labels, whereby consumers consider the nutritional icons on the front-of-pack labels similar to affective stimuli. The addition of virtues alongside vices on the label has a compensatory effect, i.e., the food item is evaluated as healthier when there are both virtues and vices on the label compared to when there are only vices. Such heuristic processing of Facts-up-front labels that allows nutritional virtues to compensate for nutritional vices has the potential for consumers evaluating harmful foods as relatively “healthy” thus compromising consumer well-being. These findings illustrate the importance of empirically testing changes to nutritional labels before large scale implementation. Since consumers process front-of-pack labels heuristically and not cognitively, it is not surprising that nutritional literacy does not moderate the effects of label design on healthiness evaluations. Furthermore, the order of the negative and positive information on Facts-up-front labels also has no effect.

     

A conceptual framework for analyzing consumers' food label preferences: An exploratory study of sustainability labels in France,Quebec, Spain and the US

In a qualitative study of 375 consumers in France, Quebec, Spain and the US, respondents are asked to choose between pairs of actual food labels and to describe the reason(s) for their choice. The food labels included sustainability labels (eco‐labels, Fair Trade, origin) as well as product attribute (e.g. quality, kosher) and health/nutrition labels. Respondents' reasons were coded in the original language using the same coding system across all four nations to examine their preferences for label message, design and source. We also examined the role of consumers' values, beliefs and experiences on their label choices. The coding system was drawn from a review of theoretical and empirical literature and provides a conceptual framework we call the Label Consumer Interaction model for evaluating consumers' food label preferences. Although this is case study, the results point to substantial differences across nations in terms of preferred labels, as well as the rationale for their choice in terms of attributes of the labels and consumer characteristics.     

Ease of reading of mandatory information on Canadian food product labels

Food product labels present individual product information, safety, nutrition, electronic inventory, container and environmental information, in various formats, languages and images. Some information is mandatory; much is promotional. The food label is an essential tool for regulators of safe food handling, nutrition policy and fair competition. Mandatory information on food labels in Canada is required to be presented in both English and French, readily discernable, prominently displayed and legible. This study examines the ease of finding and reading of mandatory label components on selected Canadian food products. A validated typographical scoring system assessed the lists of ingredients on a purposive sample of 100 food labels representing foods in all groups in Canada's Food Guide. Seven percent of the ingredient lists were easy to read; 26% were difficult to read and 67% were very difficult to read. Well‐educated resourceful readers in consumer focus groups examined food labels for key elements that influence ease of finding and reading information. Focus groups and typographical scoring identified: colour contrast, case, print style, print size, space between the lines, reverse print, organization, justification, type of surface, hyphenation and print reproduction as factors that affect ease of reading. Print that curves around a container, lack of paragraphing or point form organization make reading difficult; text blocks at right angles to each other make comparisons difficult; separation of the nutrition facts table from the list of ingredients makes decision making tedious. Inadequate spacing between lines of print creates problems for readers of English and exacerbates problems for readers of French. Words placed over illustrations, busy backgrounds or watermarks increase reading difficulty. Hazard statements, instructions and storage information imbedded in other information without added space or appropriate heading is difficult to find and read. Canadian consumers echo consumers in 28 European countries who find label information difficult to find and to read and want clear guidelines/regulations on the placement and the typography of mandatory food label components     

Consumers' perceptions of individual and combined sustainable food labels: a UK pilot investigation

Consumers are faced with an increasing number of sustainable food labels. These different labels may be complementary or add to the increasing competition of product information in consumers' minds. We investigate: (1) the perceptions that consumers in the UK have about sustainable labels vs. other labels, such as origin or nutrition labels; and (2) consumers' reactions to combinations of different sustainable labels. Overall, the findings from two focus groups conducted in the UK indicate that consumers have positive perceptions of organic and fair trade labels but tend to be sceptical about unfamiliar labels and general claims such as ‘climate friendly’. The results also indicate the importance of familiarity, trust and fit between combinations of labels as well as between associating a label with a brand. While the combination of certain labels can enhance the value of a food product, this study also indicates that other label combinations (e.g. private and sustainable label) can detract from a label's value. Implications and recommendations are suggested for managers to counter the image of greenwashing, and for policy makers to facilitate sustainable food choices.     

Consumer responses to private nutrition signals

Mandatory labelling of nutrition information with a numerical nutrition facts panel is commonly required for prepackaged food products. Recently, food manufacturers and retailers have developed simplified nutrition signals such as front-of-package labelling (e.g. the Traffic Light label) or retail shelf labels (e.g. Guiding Stars), which provide a more intuitive signal of nutritional content. Using survey data from a sample of consumers from western Canada, this paper examines consumer responses to two private nutrition labelling programs: Guiding Stars and the Traffic Light label. Consumers are more receptive to the Traffic Light label than the Guiding Stars. Ordered probit models explore the factors influencing the likelihood of using these nutrition signals. Trust in the food label, perceived difficulty of using nutrition information, nutrition knowledge, and the importance placed on nutrition influence receptively to these labels. Simplified nutrition labels are likely to complement, rather than substitute for, the existing Nutrition Facts Table.     

Consumer Perceptions of Health Claims in Advertisements and on Food Labels

It has been hypothesized that consumers are more skeptical of health claims made in food ads than of health claims made on food labels. Therefore, the current research explores consumers' skepticism of health claims when the source of such claims is identified as a food ad or a food label. The study also examines whether consumers' beliefs are affected by nutrition information on food labels and whether health claims that have been challenged by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and by consumer groups are more likely to affect consumers' beliefs than are unchallenged health claims. The findings have implications for understanding the role of education in reducing consumer misperceptions of health claims.