Influence Of Nutritional Information Research Articles

The impact of sugar-related claims on perceived healthfulness, caloric value and expected taste of food products

Food packaging usually includes multiple cues, including claims about nutrients that may modulate how theconsumer perceives (and behaves towards) the product. In the current work, we systematically examined how different types of claims about sugar influenced the perception of food product categories (i.e., yogurts, ice creams, cookies, and breakfast cereals). In two experiments (combined n = 406), participants were asked to evaluate the perceived healthfulness, caloric value, and expected taste of products with (vs. without) sugar-related claims. Specifically, the claims were on the sugar content (“0% sugar”, “sugar-free”, “no added sugars”, “low sugar” - Experiment 1) or on the type of sugars or sweeteners of natural origin (“sucrose”, “cane sugar”, “honey” and “stevia” - Experiment 2).Experiment 1 revealed that all products with sugar-related claims were rated as healthier, less caloric, and less tasty than the regular alternatives. Still, products with the “low sugar” claim were perceived as the least healthy, most caloric, and tastiest. In Experiment 2, we observed that products with “stevia” claim were rated as healthier, less caloric, and less tasty than regular products. In both experiments, the frequency of consumption of products with sugar-related claims was positively associated with the general perception of these products, the influence of nutritional information on consumption decisions, attention to sugar intake, and interest in nutrition.Overall, our results show that sugar-related claims may influence consumer's perceptions about food products, but the direction of that influence depends on the type of claim and evaluative dimension.

Evaluation of a voluntary nutritional information program versus calorie labelling on menus in Canadian restaurants: a quasi-experimental study design

BackgroundA significant proportion of the Canadian diet comes from foods purchased in restaurant settings. In an effort to promote healthy eating, the province of British Columbia (BC) implemented the Informed Dining Program (IDP), a voluntary, industry supported information program in 2012, while the province of Ontario implemented mandatory calorie labelling on menus in 2017. The study examined differences in awareness and the self-reported influence of nutrition information on food choices in restaurants with voluntary nutrition information, calorie labelling on menus, and no nutrition information program.MethodsExit surveys were conducted outside of nine chain restaurants in Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) in 2012, 2015, and 2017 with varying nutrition information programs implemented. Logistic regression analyses compared self-reported noticing and influence of nutrition information in restaurants with: 1) the IDP which provided nutrition information upon request, 2) calorie labelling on menus, and 3) control restaurants with no specific nutrition information program in place, adjusted for year, city and socio-demographic characteristics. Awareness and knowledge of the IDP were also examined.ResultsThere were no significant differences in noticing and self-reported influence of nutrition information on food choices between restaurants with the IDP and restaurants with no program. Participants were more likely to notice nutrition information in restaurants when calorie information was provided on menus (57%) compared to in restaurants with the IDP (22%, AOR = 6.20, 95%CI 3.51–10.94, p < 0.001) or restaurants with no nutrition information program (20%, AOR = 7.44, 95%CI 4.21–13.13, p < 0.001). Participants in restaurants with menu labelling were also more likely to report that nutrition information influenced their food purchase (38%) compared to restaurants with the IDP (12%, AOR = 4.43, 95%CI 2.36–8.30, p < 0.001) and restaurants with no nutrition information program (12%, AOR = 5.29, 95%CI 2.81–9.95, p < 0.001). Fewer than 1 in 5 participants who visited an IDP restaurant had heard of the IDP across all data collection years in both cities.ConclusionsThere was no evidence that voluntary programs which provide nutrition information upon request were effective. Providing calorie information on menus increased the likelihood that consumers noticed and that their food choices were influenced by nutrition information in restaurant settings.

Junk Food Consumption, awareness and its Health Consequences among Undergraduates of a Medical University

Objective: To assess the consumption patterns and health consequences of junk foods among students of medical university Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: A study was conducted among 370 students in a Public Sector University, Karachi from March to November 2017. Medical undergraduates, (1-5 academic year), of both gender were conveniently selected. The average age of the medical students was 18 to 24 years, majority were females. Information regarding junk food eating pattern, preference, timings of consumption, influence of nutritional information on the choice of junk food, any history of physical and psychiatric ailments in past six months were collected. A pretested, both open and close ended self-administered questionnaire consisting of 26 questions were used to collect data to assess the knowledge and health consequences regarding junk food consumption. Results: Out of total 370 participants, 91.4% had the knowledge about the risk and strong connection between weight gain and obesity. Despite of this, 92% participants were consuming junk food. One out of every three students (34.9%) reported hygiene problems, (95%) gastrointestinal issues and (20%) complained about dental problems. A significant association of junk food consumption with feeling drowsiness/lethargic (p-value <0.001) was observed. Moreover, knowledge regarding high risk of non communicable diseases among junk foods users also found significantly higher (p-value 0.045). Conclusion: Current study revealed that, though awareness regarding health hazards of the junk food was found higher among medical students, its consumption is highly prevalent.

A voluntary nutrition labeling program in restaurants: Consumer awareness, use of nutrition information, and food selection

Health Check (HC) was a voluntary nutrition labeling program developed by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada as a guide to help consumers choose healthy foods. Items meeting nutrient criteria were identified with a HC symbol. This study examined the impact of the program on differences in consumer awareness and use of nutritional information in restaurants. Exit surveys were conducted with 1126 patrons outside four HC and four comparison restaurants in Ontario, Canada (2013). Surveys assessed participant noticing of nutrition information, influence of nutrition information on menu selection, and nutrient intake. Significantly more patrons at HC restaurants noticed nutrition information than at comparison restaurants (34.2% vs. 28.1%; OR = 1.39; p = 0.019); however, only 5% of HC restaurant patrons recalled seeing the HC symbol. HC restaurant patrons were more likely to say that their order was influenced by nutrition information (10.9% vs. 4.5%; OR = 2.96, p < 0.001); and consumed less saturated fat and carbohydrates, and more protein and fibre (p < 0.05). Approximately 15% of HC restaurant patrons ordered HC approved items; however, only 1% ordered a HC item and mentioned seeing the symbol in the restaurant in an unprompted recall task, and only 4% ordered a HC item and reported seeing the symbol on the item when asked directly. The HC program was associated with greater levels of noticing and influence of nutrition information, and more favourable nutrient intake; however, awareness of the HC program was very low and differences most likely reflect the type of restaurants that “self-selected” into the program.

Healthy Food Selection: The Role of Nutritional Information of Packaged Foods on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions

India is the world's second largest producer of food next to China and has the potential of being the largest food producer in the world. The food processing industry is the fifth largest industry in India in terms of production, consumption, export, and expected growth. Among the various sectors of the food-processing industry, the ready to eat food products industry is growing at the fastest pace of 30 % p.a. There are nearly 100 international, national, and local players already operating in the industry, and equal numbers of players are likely to enter in the market in the coming years due to its huge growth potential. Ready to eat food products being products of low involvement category, a little differentiation exists among the products produced by various players of the industry so as to differentiate their products. To differentiate their products, one of the most prominent tools used in the industry is packaging. The companies make use of various packaging elements to differentiate their products. This study was undertaken to analyze the influence of nutritional information provided on the packages of ready to eat food products on the product evaluation and buying behavior of consumers in Rajkot.

Impact of nutritional information on consumers' acceptance of cheese with reduced sodium chloride content

The sensory acceptance of cheese with different sodium chloride contents and the influence of nutritional information on consumers' acceptance and declaration of willingness to purchase the cheeses were assessed. Three samples of cheese with different contents of sodium chloride and two types of nutritional information and nutritional claims were used. No significant differences in acceptance were found between cheeses with different sodium chloride contents, despite minor differences in results of descriptive analysis. NaCl content and information type did not affect the respondents' acceptance (P > 0.05), and a significant interaction between these factors was not found. Nevertheless, more people expressed their willingness to purchase the cheese with the claim of reduced NaCl content than without such a claim. There is thus an opportunity to use 15% less sodium chloride in cheese without consumers' rejection. Moreover, there is a need to use nutritional claims to increase willingness to buy such cheese.

The Influence of Nutrition Information on Choice: The Roles of Temptation, Conflict and Self‐Control

This study investigated the impact of nutrition information on consumers' choice of a cake and examined the roles of key psychological decision factors. Based on a generalized linear model, results of an experiment on 299 female consumers in the United Kingdom showed that the presence of nutrition information in the form of Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) had a direct impact on food choice. GDA information had a moderating effect on the relationship between two psychological factors (conflict and self‐control, but not temptation) and consumer choice. Temptation, conflict and self‐control had direct effects on choice.

ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGURT AND YOGURT‐LIKE PRODUCTS: INFLUENCE OF PRODUCT INFORMATION AND CONSUMER CHARACTERISTICS AND PREFERENCES

ABSTRACT This work aims to investigate whether the information about product type and the nutritional label affects consumer acceptability of yogurt and fermented milk. Hedonic evaluations of seven commercial samples, three yogurts and four fermented milks were elicited from 120 consumers under blind tasting conditions, looking at a card with the product type and with the label nutritional facts and finally, tasting labeled products. For the whole group of consumers, nutritional information did not affect the acceptability of these products although analysis of individual consumer behavior showed that only for around 50% of consumers surveyed, this result reflects on their actual response. When data for subgroups of consumers of different gender or age or with different preference pattern were considered, differences in the influence of nutritional information on samples acceptability were detected. These results confirm that the data averaged from the consumer whole population cannot accurately reflect the real behavior of the population surveyed. More complete and valid information can be gained from analyzing the responses of the consumer subgroups of different characteristics or with different individual preferences. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSCurrently, there are a lot of new dairy products with different sensory and nutritional characteristics on the market. Confirmation or disconfirmation of the expectations generated by the nutritional information plays an important role in consumers' acceptance of these products. The results of this work provide information about the different conclusions that can be drawn when one considers average acceptance data for the whole population of consumers or average data of consumer subgroups (i.e., different gender, age or individual preferences).

The Effect of Nutrition Information on Consumers’ Healthy Menu Choices at a Fast Food Restaurant

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of nutrition information on menu choices at a fast food restaurant. Three versions of menus were presented to participants: no nutrition information, total calories only, and full nutrition information. Results from the experiment with 245 participants reveal that 1) providing nutrition information led to healthier menu choices; 2) individual differences in BMI and gender moderated the influence of nutrition information on food choice. Based on the result of this study, provision of total calories only would be the most effective way of presenting nutrition information on menus to promote consumer's healthier menu choices at a fast food restaurant.

Influence of Nutrition Information on the Attitudes and Knowledge of Dieters

Reports a study in which a structured questionnaire was used to elicit the attitudes and knowledge of 451 women (18‐35 years), 217 dieters and 234 non‐dieters to nutritional issues. It included questions on frequency of reading labels, attitudes to and likelihood of buying products labelled with qualitative terms, and understanding of nutritional terms. Data were analysed to determine differences between dieters and non‐dieters. Dieters were significantly more likely to read labels, and gave more priority to “low in calories”. Both groups most often ranked “no additives” as most important. “Calories” and “fat” were most often associated with “fattening”, but “energy” and “joule” were less widely recognized. Dieters recognized more energy‐related terms. Significantly, more dieters knew that fat has more calories than sugar, but the majority of both groups thought saturated fatty acids had more calories than polyunsaturated fatty acids. Results indicate dieters to be slightly more knowledgeable, but that confusion remained over a number of issues.