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Nutrition information in the market: food labelling as an aid to the consumer
Author(s) -
WANDEL MARGARETA,
BUGGE ANNECHEN
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of consumer studies and home economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.775
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1470-6431
pISSN - 0309-3891
DOI - 10.1111/j.1470-6431.1996.tb00249.x
Subject(s) - norwegian , food labelling , labelling , sample (material) , marketing , nutrition information , food labeling , order (exchange) , population , food market , food products , nutrition labeling , advertising , food choice , psychology , business , environmental health , medicine , food science , geography , agriculture , philosophy , linguistics , chemistry , criminology , finance , chromatography , archaeology , pathology
This research was conducted in order to find out how consumers perceive and use the information given on food labels. It included two different studies: (i) a pilot study consisting of in‐depth interviews with the help of an interview guide in 25 households, (ii) a consumer survey of personal interviews with a representative sample of the Norwegian population, 1050 persons over 15 years of age. The data showed that, even though the food labels were perceived as difficult to understand, there were nevertheless many consumers who made use of them. The typical pattern was occasional use; 46% read them very or rather often. The typical reader is a women between 30 and 59 years of age, and with a high education. Of all the substances listed on the food labels, most people looked for the additives (60%) and amount of fat (58%). Only 10% reported that they were very satisfied with the food labels as they appear today, whereas about 40% were rather satisfied. Suggestions from the respondents to make the food labels more satisfactory are discussed.