Ingredient Information Research Articles

Demographic and Health Locus of Control Influences on Nonprescription Drug Information Use Expectations

The present study observed that older consumers indicated increased performance risk-based nonprescription drug information use expectations. These consumers were more interested in using product ingredient, side-effect, physician, and pharmacist information when making nonprescription drug decisions. Younger consumer were more interest in using pain relief, strength, brand name, price, friend, family, television ad, magazine ad, technical publication, and general news media information. Compared lo older consumers, younger consumers preferred information which was not specifically designed to reduce performance risk related to nonprescription drug decisions. Additional analyses indicated that, compared lo younger consumers, older consumers indicated lower nonprescription drug category knowledge and greater nonprescription drug use. These results, combined with the older group's preference for certain woes of performance risk-based nonprescription drug information, indicate that increased efforts to provi...

Poison Centers, Poison Prevention, and the Pediatrician

The first poison centers were established in the United States in the early 1950s, stimulated by an American Academy of Pediatrics' survey of office-based pediatric practices which ascertained that its members had no place to turn for ingredient information on medications and household products. With the help of the Academy, pediatrician Dr. Edward Press, the Illinois Department of Health, and several community hospitals, the first poison center emerged. Over the subsequent 40 years, remarkable progress has occurred in the fields of clinical toxicology, poison control, and poison prevention. Yet despite these accomplishments, challenging clouds are appearing on the horizon which threaten these gains. This commentary, by the authors who have viewed and participated in a large part of the history of this progress, will focus on these major accomplishments with an emphasis on (a) poison prevention utilizing the pre-event (primary prevention), (b) the event (secondary prevention), and (c) the postevent (tertiary prevention) model.

Prevalence of reading nutrition and ingredient information on food labels among adult Americans: 1982–1988

Comparisons of five Food and Drug Administration Health and Diet Surveys conducted in the 1980s provide estimates of the numbers of consumers who report that they pay attention to ingredient lists and nutrition labels and identify trends based on replicated measures. Recent estimates indicate that more than four out of five U.S. consumers report that they pay attention to one or both types of label information, with just under three-fourths reporting use of each individual information source. There was no net increase in consumer use of the food label ingredient list from 1982 to 1986, but use of the nutrition label increased significantly. Consumers who use both types of labels are more likely to be young (25–34), white, female, better educated, and to follow a self-initiated or doctor-prescribed low-sodium or low-cholesterol diet. Educators now face a challenge—to address remaining knowledge gaps, particularly among population groups who are less likely to use labels, and to develop practical strategies to help all consumers make more effective use of food label information in dietary management.

Food Label for the 21st Century: Implications for the Renal Dietitian

Nutrition labeling has been a concern of consumers for many years. Due to the multiple diet parameters of individuals with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the use of food labels becomes critical in maintaining control of many nutrients simultaneously while enhancing the overall health status of the individual. The wide variety of continually changing food products necessiates both professional and patient understanding of food labels. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act passed by Congress in November 1990 requires mandatory nutrition and ingredient information labeling for most foods under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration by May 1993, with the US Department of Agriculture expected to follow a similar timetable under a separate labeling initiative. This clinical brief will focus on the new requirements, resulting changes to food labels, and implications for the renal dietitian caring for the ESRD patient. Nutrition labeling has been a concern of consumers for many years. Due to the multiple diet parameters of individuals with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the use of food labels becomes critical in maintaining control of many nutrients simultaneously while enhancing the overall health status of the individual. The wide variety of continually changing food products necessiates both professional and patient understanding of food labels. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act passed by Congress in November 1990 requires mandatory nutrition and ingredient information labeling for most foods under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration by May 1993, with the US Department of Agriculture expected to follow a similar timetable under a separate labeling initiative. This clinical brief will focus on the new requirements, resulting changes to food labels, and implications for the renal dietitian caring for the ESRD patient.

Non-Medicinal Ingredients

Many drug products contain excipients which perform important functions in terms of stability, solubility and identification. Excipients should not be considered as inactive ingredients, as they have been associated with a wide range of adverse reactions in some individuals. Monitoring for excipient toxicity is important. Equally important, is the provision of non-medicinal ingredient information on packaging, patient information leaflets and prescribing information, as most excipient-related toxicity is preventable when the formulation is known.

1992 and the Consumer

SummaryThis paper summarises the journey so far towards the ‘single market’. Consumers may expect to benefit from increased choice and cheaper prices but the possibility that quality, as judged by % of characterising ingredient, will be lowered, is a cause for concern. The consumer will have to rely increasingly on labels, assuming that the label information is adequate. Quantitative ingredient information is desirable but provides technical difficulties for manufacturers.A voluntary ‘quality mark’ scheme could be a satisfactory replacement for compositional standards but would have to be carefully controlled by independent assessors. The abolition of frontier controls creates a dilemma between the desire to have free trade within the community and the need to give a high priority to public health.

Mandatory Fast Food Labeling: Support By Twelfth Graders

Both operators and customers may benefit when fast food places voluntarily provide ingredient and nutrition information about their products. These were the findings when 560 twelfth graders completed a fast food questionnaire. The twelfth graders indicated they are in favorof mandatory fast food ingredient labeling, yet few were able to understand ingredient information presented in the form proposed in the current legislation and the form required on other packaged foods. They said they would be most likely to use the fast food product information about ingredients, calories, fat and cholesterol and their preferred method of receiving it was on fast food product containers.

Amount of Label Information Effects on Perceived Product Quality

This paper points out the need for advertisers to consider the amount of label/package ingredient information as a variable influencing consumer quality perceptions. Previous research results linking the amount of nutritional information presented on labels with quality perceptions are reviewed, and results of an exploratory study concentrating on non-nutritional ingredient information are presented. Tentative implications for advertisers and multinational marketers are drawn.