Consumers Confused Over Food Value Labels, Study Finds

By ALISON CHIESA

FOOD nutrition labels are causing confusion among some consumers, the chairwoman of a panel of experts said yesterday .

Findings published halfway through the Food Standards Agency’s L670,000 study into nutritional labels reveal shoppers can have trouble understanding the traffic light-style colour system, pie charts and guideline daily amount (GDA) figures.

Chief government social researcher Sue Duncan, who heads the panel, said: “The current front-of-pack labelling systems are still causing confusion amongst some of the consumers . . . in this early qualitative phase.”

This first stage of research involved 100 accompanied shopping trips where researchers trailed shoppers who were asked to talk through their buying decisions. Their use of front-of-pack nutrition labels was also monitored.

A further 100 in-depth bag audits were conducted at the checkout and at shoppers’ homes, their contents were examined and the shoppers were encouraged to discuss the decisions.

The study found a lack of numeracy among shoppers caused confusion for a significant number who felt that the GDA percentage figures required complex mathematical calculations.

Shoppers were also reluctant to use the nutrition labels for cakes, chocolate and sweets, reasoning that they already knew the indulgences were bad for them and wanted to treat themselves anyway.

Similarly, they ignored the labels for basic items such as milk, flour and bread because they were regarded as everyday essentials.

Further problems were discovered when consumers attempted to compare two similar products that used different styles to display the nutritional information.

Mrs Duncan said: “The initial phase of the evaluation provides some valuable insights into how people are using front-of-pack food labels and was important in shaping the main quantitative phase of the study which has just begun.”

Over the next three months, 3000 shoppers will be interviewed and consumers’ comprehension of various types of nutrition labels will be tested.

The final results of the research will be published in spring 2009 .

Originally published by Newsquest Media Group.

(c) 2008 Herald, The; Glasgow (UK). Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.