Is More Better? Insights on Consumers' Preferences for Nutritional Information on Wine Labelling.

Riccardo Vecchio,Angela Mariani,Azzurra Annunziata

doi:10.3390/nu10111667

Riccardo Vecchio, Angela Mariani + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10111667

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Abstract

Background: Nowadays there is a strong debate on the need to introduce mandatory nutritional information on alcoholic beverages labels, and particularly on wine, as a tool to promote more health-conscious drinking patterns in society. In 2018, the European alcoholic beverages industry presented a self-regulatory proposal, now under assessment by the European Commission. The most critical issue is how to convey nutritional information to consumers, as producers should decide to apply information on label or off-label. Method: The current study measured, through a non-hypothetical, incentive compatible artefactual field experiment, Italian wine consumers (N = 103) preferences for four different formats of wine nutritional labelling, namely: back label with the indication of kcal for glass of wine, with the nutritional panel referred to 100 mL, without nutritional information (but with a link to an external website) and with the indication of key nutrients for glass of wine. Results: Findings reveal that respondents preferred the nutritional panel on the back label, assigning the lowest preference to the less informative wine label (only with a website recall). Furthermore, results show a low level of respondents’ knowledge of wine nutritional properties. Conclusion: Findings, while limited in terms of sample representativeness, seem to support the European Consumer Organisation and the European Alcohol Policy Alliance objection to an off-line label and the advocacy for a traditional and complete on label nutritional information on wine.

Highlights

The harmful use of alcohol has a severe impact on health and well-being of individuals and imposes significant social and economic costs on society [1]
In the light of this background, the current study focuses on the following research questions: (1) Are consumers interested in nutritional information on wine?
Considering the sources used to search for wine nutritional information, as shown in Figure 2, the average level of use for all seven sources proposed is very low; producers’

Summary

Introduction

The harmful use of alcohol has a severe impact on health and well-being of individuals and imposes significant social and economic costs on society [1]. In several countries, there is an ongoing debate on the need and usefulness to introduce mandatory nutritional information and ingredients list on alcohol beverage labels as a tool to promote more health-conscious drinking patterns in society [3,4]. Organisation’s European Action Plan to reduce the harmful use of alcohol (2012–2020), the alcoholic beverages’ labelling should be similar to other foods to ensure that consumers have access to complete information on the content and composition of the product for the protection of both their health and interests [5]. Nowadays there is a strong debate on the need to introduce mandatory nutritional information on alcoholic beverages labels, and on wine, as a tool to promote more health-conscious drinking patterns in society. Results: Findings reveal that respondents preferred the nutritional panel on the back label, assigning the lowest preference to the less informative wine label (only with a website recall).

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion