Factors affecting use and understanding of nutrition information on food labels: evidences from consumers

Abstract

AbstractIn the past few years, Europe has experienced an increase in several chronic diseases linked to dietary and lifestyle factors. In particular obesity is increasing at an alarming rate all over Europe, while warnings about it have intensified. As result nutrition-related measures are ranking as first in the agenda of the EU political priorities. Particularly at the end of 2011 the EU introduced new rules on food labeling requirement by inserting a nutritional declaration. In this context the proposed paper aims to explore factors affecting use and understanding of nutrition information on food labels in Italy to provide useful guidance in the implementation of new nutrition labelling. The study presents some results of a direct survey on a sample of 400 consumers and provides a market segmentation identifying different profiles of consumers, through the use of PCA and Cluster Analysis. The results obtained from this analysis suggest the need to focus mainly on education campaigns and providing several indications for developers and marketers as well as government bodies that are interested in designing consumer communication strategies and effective health programs.Keywords: Food labelling; health; nutrition; consumer behaviour; cluster analysis.IntroductionIn the past few years, Europe has experienced an increase in several chronic diseases linked to dietary and lifestyle factors. In particular obesity is increasing at an alarming rate all over Europe, while warnings about it have intensified. According to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), from 1990 to 2006, obesity levels in Europe tripled on the whole.There is robust evidence that dietary factors are related to the development of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes (Astrup, 2001; FAO/WHO 2003; Kromhout, Menotti, Kesteloot, & Sans, 2002).To prevent and mitigate the prevalence of such illnesses, policies that have an impact on the type of food produced and may influence the types and quantities of foods consumed by Europeans may be helpful and pertinent (Gracia et al, 2003). In this context the nutritional information on food labels are an indispensable tool to help consumers make informed choices aware and healthy, providing them essential information that otherwise could not find.Despite the importance of the problems related to nutrition and food habits involving the European population, only at the end of last year the EU has reviewed the general rules on food labeling by Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers which provides new requirements aimed at improving the level of information and protection for European consumers provide the obligation to include a nutritional declaration on the labelling of foodstuffs3. From 13 December 2016, Regulation (EU) No 1 169/201 1 will make nutrition labelling obligatory, whether or not the foodstuff carries nutrition or health claims4. This regulation is the result of a long process of revision of the basic rules on nutrition labeling started more than ten years ago, during which the Commission launched two public consultations, in 2003 and 2006, and impact assessments5 which have led in the January 2008 the Commission to adopt a proposal for a Regulation on the provision of food information to consumers to update and revise the Community legislation on general food labelling and nutrition labelling.Nutritional labelling has received considerable attention in the literature due to increasing consumer interest in health and diet issues. Food labels are a source of information and most often the first means for directly connecting with a consumer however its potential is not always well exploited. Labels may be an instrument for reinforcing generic claims and for establishing product differentiation, differentiation across food categories and within a specific category (Caswell and Mojduszka. …