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Hydrogenated oil (HO) has been considered one of the major sources of artificial trans-fats that is associated with various public health problems. In the present work, a cross-sectional survey was conducted to monitor trans-fats recording approaches in some food package (N=181) collected from some Saudi markets, 2014-2016. Assessment of participants awareness of HO and consumption frequencies of selected products that listed trans-fats in their package were also conducted based on interview questionnaires (N=302). Data collected from information existing on food package, such as ingredients list, and nutrition facts label as well as nutrition claims showed that 30.39% of the products listed ingredients containing trans-fat such as hydrogenated oil, partially hydrogenated oil, margarine and hydrogenated fats. Questionnaire data analysis showed that only 35.1% of the participants heard of HO and 4% thought that HO is unhealthy. Significant positive correlation was found between participant’s education level and hearing about HO (0.69 at 0.01 level) as well as reading the food label (0.87 at 0.01 level). Cakes, wafers and pastries were highly consumed (two-three times per day) by 37.4%, 24.5% and 44.4 %, respectively by participants. Although, one third of collected packaged food products recording ingredients containing trans-fats in the ingredients list such as vegetable fat, HO, margarine and partially HO, only 20% of these products reported trans-fats content. Therefore, more attention should be payed to reevaluate the food label legalization. Furthermore, health education programs about trans-fats sources and related disease are strongly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean Diet was one of the first food-related nominations on the international cultural heritage list. By introducing the concepts of "epistemic community" and "governmentality" to analyze this heritagization process, I will evaluate the participation and consent of "the Mediterranean people" and their belief in a common identity based in a holistic conception of this food tradition—the so-called diaita. My goal is to demonstrate that the inscription's proposal was motivated first by a long-term strategy aimed at promoting an "umbrella brand" of agro-food products extended to the whole Mediterranean space. Then, I will emphasize the attempt to design a model of property rights protection that is adequate for this food label, which was later presented within the realm of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization as a measure for safeguarding the diaita as an item of intangible cultural heritage. Finally, I will argue that this claim totally omits the rights of the numerous expatriates living outside this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: By clearly conveying the healthiness of a food, front-of-pack (FOP) labels have the potential to influence the portion size considered appropriate for consumption. The present study examined the how the Daily Intake Guide (DIG), Multiple Traffic Lights (MTL) and Health Star Rating (HSR) FOP labels affect judgements of appropriate portion sizes of unhealthy foods compared with when no FOP label is present.Design: Respondents viewed mock packages of unhealthy variations of pizzas, cookies, yoghurts and cornflakes featuring the DIG, MTL, HSR or no FOP label, and indicated the portion size they believed should be eaten of each food on a single occasion.Setting: The survey was completed on the respondent's personal computer.Subjects: A total of 1505 Australian adults provided 4166 ratings across 192 mock packages relating to four product categories: pizza, yoghurt, cornflakes and cookies.Results: Compared with no FOP label, the HSR resulted in a small but significant reduction in the portion size selected as appropriate for consumption of pizzas and cornflakes (P<0·05). The MTL resulted in smaller portions of cornflakes being selected compared with no FOP label (P<0·05).Conclusions: Respondents perceived smaller portion sizes as appropriate for some, but not all, of the foods tested when FOP labels with more interpretative formats (HSR, MTL) appeared on-pack compared with no FOP label. No effect was found for the less interpretive FOP label (the DIG). Interpretive FOP labels may have the potential to influence portion size judgements, albeit at modest levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency of reading food labels and to compare the knowledge, att itude and practice of reading the food label between the adolescent boys and girls, residents of Sultanpur (UP), India. In this survey, 100 volunteers aged 13-19 years were asked to complete a questionnaire contained twenty questions. there was equal male and female respondents. almost everyone has come across adulterated food items among population, 48% male and 45% female came across with malpractices in food items while 2% of male and 5% of female were not face any such type of adulteration or duplicity, 70% female and 36% male respondents informed very much with labelling, 54% male and 20% female were moderately informed while 8% male and 6% female were informed minimally and only 2% male and 4% female were not satisfi ed with the information on printed on packets. all of the respondents (both male and female) had habit of reading food labels before purchasing any packed food items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for detecting chickpea was developed. From homologous sequences of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase gene ( NCED ) among leguminous species, chickpea’s NCED was cloned, and the Southern-blot analysis showed that NCED is a single copy gene in a haploid genome. Its coding sequences at the 5′ terminus were found unique to chickpea and conserved among various chickpea varieties. Developed real-time PCR method targeting the unique sequences was specific to chickpea and had detection limit of approximately 30 copies per a reaction, and applicable for qualitative detection of chickpea in various forms of food products including dried, powdered, retort-packed, canned, fermented and pasted. Our results showed that the developed method enables identification of chickpea in foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutritional information on food labels helps consumers make informed decisions about what they chose to consume. This study, conducted among 320 consumers in Trinidad, West Indies, examined consumers' use of various informational components of the label and the influence of health-related factors on use of such information. The study found that, although there was a fairly high reading of food label information, fats and sodium information were not given the required attention. Six variables—(a) diabetes; (b) allergies; (c) gender; (d) level of schooling; (e) fast food consumption; and (f) fiber consumption—significantly impacted the use of food label information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers' use and valuation of nutrition labels is mainly analysed based on stated attitudes or stated use of such labels. This study is based on household scanner data from the Netherlands and Denmark, and includes a range of different products. Hedonic price models are estimated and the results show positive values attached to the label across countries and most product categories, suggesting that consumers do value the guidance that the nutrition labels provide. Policy implications from these results indicate that credible nutrition labels are relevant tools in the effort to combat diet-related diseases by guiding consumers towards healthier diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Labels are an integral part of a product. Observing the labels on the packaging, especially food products is considered very important to do. However, the label of food packaging products receives less attention from consumers. Therefore, the public is required to be more ingenious in observing the label of food packaging products to avoid food security problems which have adverse health effects. The purpose of this study was to map the results of research on label reading behavior. The design of this study was a literature study of research results that can be accessed via the internet. The results showed that the behavior of reading food product labels was done before buying the product (Aulawi 2005; Susanto 2008; Kumalasari and Sjafei 2012). From the frequency of reading nutrition labels, it could be found out that 42.5 percent of consumers sometimes read and 30.2 percent often read food packaging labels (Andrias 2016). Of the 52 studies, 17 studies have shown that women often read more and notice label attributes on food product packaging. The most commonly read consumer label (Figure 3) was the kosher logo and nutritional value. Food products that are usually labeled are packaged foods. Nutrition and health claims are considered as a means of education for consumers - 14 percent to know new information and 86 percent of consumers decided to read the labels because of the outside factors, such as advertising, internet, or at school.

This study focuses on food label use by Nigerians, using Kwara State as a case study. Specifically, the study describes the socio-economics characteristics of the respondents, determined people’s perception about food labels and examined factors influencing willingness-to-read food labels in the study area. A total of 120 respondents selected through a combination of purposive and random sampling techniques were used for the study. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, 5-point likert scale and logistic resgression analysis. Majority of the respondents were females (72.5%), married (60%) and had secondary education (50%). The mean age, household size, number of preschool children and household income of the respondents were 26years, 9 persons, 2 children and N25,250.00/month (USD 157.81) respectively. The respondents opined that food labels were used mainly for traceability (M = 3.24), registration status of the food producer (M = 3.01), advertisement (M =4.02), as a legal requirement (M = 4.00), to know the expiry dates (M = 4.57) and to distinguish the product from that of other competitors (M = 3.54). Results of the regression analysis revealed that women were more willing to read food labels than men, and positively related to age of respondent, household income level, educational status of food planner and nutritional knowledge of the food planner. However, willingness-to-read food labels by the respondents declined with household size and number of preschool children. The study therefore calls for enlightenment of the public by relevant stakeholders on importance of food labels to determine nutritional composition and health implications.

Soup manufacturers are removing monosodium glutamate (MSG) to meet consumer demand for natural ingredients. This research investigated the influence of MSG and its substitutes (yeast extract: YE; mushroom concentrate: MC; tomato concentrate: TC) on clear chicken soup with 0.4% sodium chloride (salt) by comparing sensory attributes and consumer acceptability among each other, and to a chicken soup sample containing 0.5% salt (Salt 0.5%). The soup with 0.4% salt without enhancers was designated as the control. Corresponding list of ingredients was also presented to consumers to study the effects on consumer expectations about chicken soup products. Our results showed that MSG and its substitutes significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the sensory properties of chicken soup. These flavor enhancers also achieved statistically same or stronger improvement in overall flavor, meaty flavor, chicken flavor and umami taste when compared to Salt 0.5% sample. Consumers significantly preferred MSG 0.1%, YE 0.025%, and Salt 0.5% samples than others. Compared to MC and TC samples, less consumers perceived MSG and YE samples as “free of artificial„ and “natural„ with lower consumption interest. Claims about artificial/natural ingredients were attractive selling points for chicken soups, but good sensory appealing was the most important attribute linearly affecting consumer satisfactions.

Objective This study evaluated customer attitudes, perceptions, and utilisation of a traffic-light food labelling (TFL) programme before and after the TFL was implemented in a worksite canteen in Taiwan. Study design A one-arm intervention was implemented in the canteen and buffet of a research park in Taiwan. Phase 1 consisted of dissemination of information regarding the TFL, targeting the customers (June–July, 2014); phase 2 consisted of implementation of the TFL in the buffet starting in August 2014. The TFL included red, yellow and green labels, indicating ‘unhealthy/stop’, ‘moderately unhealthy/wait’ and ‘healthy/go’, respectively. Methods The evaluation was based on two independent anonymous surveys in July 2014 (in phase 1) and April 2015 (in phase 2). Customers were invited to take a survey regarding the TFL programme, the food environment in the canteen, and their lunch choices. Logistic regression models examined the changes in customers' attention and attitudes towards the labelling and their food choices between the two surveys. Results The customers reported positive attitudes towards the TFL. The proportion of customers who reported choosing foods based on the recommendations increased from 38% to 50% (P < 0.01). The proportion of the buffet customers who chose green-light entrées and red-light entrées changed from 13% and 63% to 36% and 21%, respectively (P < 0.001). The availability of green-light entrées in the buffet increased as well. Conclusions This first report of a TFL intervention in an Asian worksite suggests that TFL is acceptable and well understood by this population and may assist customers in choosing healthier items when healthier choices are available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study explored the relationship between health orientation (i.e. individual motivation to engage in healthy attitudes, beliefs and behaviours) and consumers' use of nutritional information on food labels. Specifically, this study analysed the relationship between a number of direct investments in health (namely those behaviours that can contribute directly to maintain a good health status) and use of nutritional information on food labels. Study design: Data for the analysis were collected through face-to-face interviews with a sample of 540 Italian consumers in charge of their grocery shopping. Forty grocery stores, including supermarkets and hypermarkets, were selected using a systematic sampling technique. Methods: Data were analysed using three equations and accounting for endogeneity issues. Results: This study found that those consumer groups with low health orientation (specifically smokers, those who do not exercise regularly, and those with an unhealthy body weight) show little interest in nutritional labels. Conclusion: Nutritional labels as a tool to promote healthier food choices have a limited effect on those consumers in greatest need of pursuing healthier lifestyle habits. Alternative policy intervention should be undertaken to reach these consumer groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Regular nutrition label use may have important long-term health implications. To our knowledge, the role of nutrition label use in protecting against the development of chronic diseases was unexplored prospectively before this study. Objective: We tested the association between nutrition label use and risk of a future diabetes diagnosis in a multiethnic US cohort. Design: Data from the ongoing National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1979 (NLSY79) were analyzed. From 2002 (baseline) to 5 follow-up time points (2004-2012), 7150 diabetes-free, multiethnic young adults were prospectively followed for a diagnosis of incident diabetes. Nutrition label use, diabetes diagnosis, time to diabetes diagnosis, and all covariates were self-reported. Results: Between January 2002 and September 2013, 430 participants (6.0%) were diagnosed with diabetes. A weighted, multivariable, extended Cox regression was conducted, which suggested that in nutrition label users, the HR of diabetes diagnosis risk decreased significantly with time (P-nutrition label use × time interaction < 0.05) compared with risk in nutrition label nonusers. Conclusions: There is an association between nutrition label use and diabetes risk in the longer term. However, additional longitudinal research with a robust dietary intake assessment is needed to test this hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first phase of this study consisted of reviewing the literature related to food labels and its national and international legislations. After that, selected pre-packaged food labels were analyzed in a supermarket situated in the city of Porto Alegre, south of Brazil, considering their nutrition and health-related claims (NHC). From that, the main objective of this study was to identify and analyze these claims. From the products comprised in 9 different food categories, 87 had at least one NHC and, therefore, composed the group of analysis. Most of the claims consisted of nutrition claims (66,53%), followed by health-related ingredient claims (20,34%) and health claims (13,14%). The most common nutrition claims consisted of vitamins (44,2%), with vitamin C representing almost a quarter of the vitamin claims. Regarding health-related ingredient claims, more than a half of them comprised of the lack of conservatives in the food. Health claims consisted mostly of subjective sentences implying that the consumption of the food in question was a "healthy choice" or "source of health". Consumers should know how to evaluate these claims when choosing a food product, avoiding possible misunderstanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) fortification policy discourages the fortification of certain foods, including sugars and snack foods such as cookies, candies, cakes, chips, and carbonated beverages, yet manufacturers sometimes add vitamins and minerals to snack foods. Objective: To assess whether vitamin-fortified snack foods affect consumers' information-seeking, purchase decisions, and product-related health perceptions. Design: For this experimental study, participants were randomly assigned to study conditions to compare products that varied in product type, nutrition profile, and fortification and nutrient claim status. Data were collected via an online consumer panel. Participants/setting: US adults aged 18 years and older were randomly selected from Research Now's e-panel online household panel. Data were collected during fall 2014 (N=5,076). Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned to one of 24 conditions: two products (vegetable chip/potato chip), two nutrition profiles (healthier/less healthy), two fortification scenarios (not fortified/fortified), and three nutrient claim conditions (two no claim/one with claim). The design was not balanced; claims were not shown on products that were not vitamin fortified. Main outcome measures: Outcome measures were information-seeking (viewed the Nutrition Facts label), purchase decisions, perception of product healthfulness, and correct selection of product with the healthier nutrient profile. Statistical analysis performed: Logistic regression was used to test all models. Analyses was adjusted for general label use, consumes product, health status, age, sex, level of education, presence of children in the household, and race/ethnicity. Results: When the snack food carried a nutrient claim for vitamin fortification, participants were 1) less likely to look for nutrition information on the Nutrition Facts label, 2) more likely to select the product for purchase, 3) more likely to perceive the product as healthier, and 4) less likely to correctly choose the healthier product. Conclusions: Snack foods that have been vitamin-fortified may cause consumers to make poor dietary decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'all-natural' label is used extensively in the United States. At many point-of-purchase locations, employed servers provide food samples and call out specific label information to influence consumers' purchase decisions. Despite these ubiquitous practices, it is unclear what information is conveyed to consumers by the all-natural label or how it impacts judgments of perceived food quality, nutritional content, and acceptance. We used a novel approach incorporating immersive technology to simulate a virtual in-store sampling scenario where consumers were asked by a server to evaluate identical products with only one being labeled all-natural. Another condition evaluated the impact of the in-store server additionally emphasizing the all-natural status of one sample. Results indicated the all-natural label significantly improved consumer's perception of product quality and nutritional content, but not liking or willingness to pay, when compared to the regular sample. With the simple emphasis of the all-natural claim by the in-store server, these differences in quality and nutritional content became even more pronounced, and willingness to pay increased significantly by an average of 8%. These results indicate that in a virtual setting consistent with making food purchases, an all-natural front-of-pack label improves consumer perceptions of product quality and nutritional content. In addition, information conveyed to consumers by employed servers has a further, substantial impact on these variables suggesting that consumers are highly susceptible to social influence at the point of purchase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A premise of food patriotism can be found in the promotion of labels highlighting a specific geographical area, as a way to generate economic growth through the production of these speciality foods. This article presents food quality labeling as an important driver of patriotism. It is argued that in a decreed post-national era, national identity continue to matter and to become more and more visible within food sector, be it land grabbing, security and safety of foods, or origin of the products. The analysis is placed within food-health strategic and legislative frameworks designed to support Europe 2020 strategy. The results indicate a good level of reading frequency on food label/packaging of country of origin, producer's name and special logos/labels (i.e., Protected Designation of Origin, Organic Food, Fair Trade etc.). Thus, around 45% of tested people searched for the country of origin, 67.6% for producer's name and 47.5% for special labels in at least half of the cases when they bought food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last two decades, India has witnessed a dramatic rise in the consumption of packaged foods, especially among adolescents. Food labelling is often recognised as an instrumental population-based approach which can enable consumers to make informed food choices by providing all the necessary details about the food product on the packaging. In the Indian context, where adolescent obesity and the ensuing non-communicable diseases are escalating, it is crucial to understand adolescents' views on the use of non-nutritious packaged foods and food labels. Therefore, the aim of this qualitative inquiry was to explore Indian adolescents' perceptions regarding the consumption of packaged food and use of food labels. Convenience sampling was employed to recruit 29 boys and 15 girls (aged 10-19 years) from rural Varanasi, India. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted in the local language. Interview recordings were transcribed verbatim and translated to English. Narrative data were subjected to thematic analysis using NVivo software program. The adolescents reported frequent consumption of packaged food like potato chips, biscuits, chocolates, deep-fried Indian snacks both at school and home. Packaged foods were regarded as tasty, safe, and fresh. Brand name, date of expiry and cost were often read by the study respondents. Nevertheless, they reported difficulty in understanding other components of the label (e.g., nutrition information) and they were not aware of the negative impact of consuming unhealthy packaged foods. Nearly all the respondents insisted that food labels should be written in the local language for easy understanding. These emerging findings underscore the need to design school-based food literacy programs for vulnerable Indian adolescents to address obesity and diet-related complications in early adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Micronutrient deficiencies represent a major global health issue, with over 2 billion individuals experiencing deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals. Food labels provide consumers with information regarding the nutritional content of food items and have been identified as a potential tool for improving diets. However, due to governmental regulations and the physical limitations of the labels, food labels often lack comprehensive information about the vitamins and minerals present in foods. As a result, information about most of the micronutrients is absent from existing food labels., Objective: This paper aims to examine the possibility of using machine learning algorithms to predict unreported micronutrients such as vitamin A (retinol), vitamin C, vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), vitamin K, and minerals such as magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, selenium, manganese, and copper from nutrition information provided on existing food labels. If unreported micronutrients can be predicted with acceptable accuracies from existing food labels using machine learning predictive models, such models can be integrated into mobile apps to provide consumers with additional micronutrient information about foods and help them make more informed diet decisions., Methods: Data from the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) data set, representing a total of 5624 foods, were used to train a diverse set of machine learning classification and regression algorithms to predict unreported vitamins and minerals from existing food label data. For each model, hyperparameters were adjusted, and the models were evaluated using repeated cross-validation to ensure that the reported results were not subject to overfitting., Results: According to the results, while predicting the exact quantity of vitamins and minerals is shown to be challenging, with regression R 2 varying in a wide range from 0.28 (for magnesium) to 0.92 (for manganese), the classification models can accurately predict the category ("low," "medium," or "high") level of all minerals and vitamins with accuracies exceeding 0.80. The highest classification accuracies for specific micronutrients are achieved for vitamin B12 (0.94) and phosphorus (0.94), while the lowest are for vitamin E (0.81) and selenium (0.83)., Conclusions: This study demonstrates the feasibility of predicting unreported micronutrients from existing food labels using machine learning algorithms. The results show that the approach has the potential to significantly improve consumer knowledge about the micronutrient content of the foods they consume. Integrating these predictive models into mobile apps can enhance their accessibility and engagement with consumers. The implications of this research for public health are noteworthy, underscoring the potential of technology to augment consumers' understanding of the micronutrient content of their diets while also facilitating the tracking of food intake and providing personalized recommendations based on the micronutrient content and individual preferences., (©Rouzbeh Razavi, Guisen Xue. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 12.04.2023.)

Background: The majority of US consumers use the nutrition facts panel (NFP) or health claims for food selections. Although previous studies have consistently reported positive impacts of NFP use on dietary intake, evidence regarding the effect of the use of health claims, either alone or in combination with the NFP, on diet quality and health outcomes is scarce. Objectives: Our primary objective was to test for associations of the use of food labels (the NFP or health claims) with overall diet quality in individuals with prediabetes. In addition, we examined the association between food label use and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) concentrations. Design: We conducted a weighted linear regression, which was appropriate for a complex sampling survey, with the use of cross-sectional data from 2654 US adults with undiagnosed prediabetes who participated in the 2005-2010 NHANES cycles. The following 4 categories of food label (NFP or health claims) use were identified: 1) both labels, 2) health claims only, 3) neither label, and 4) the NFP only. Healthy Eating Index-2010 score, which we used to assess diet quality, was calculated from two 24-h recalls. Blood samples for analyzing HbA1c concentrations (glycemic control) were collected in the mobile examination center. Results: The overall diet quality scores for the use of both labels [b: -2.76 (95% CI: -5.04, -0.48); P = 0.019], of health claims only [b: -3.46 (-6.64, -0.28); P = 0.033], and of neither label [b: -4.01 (-5.75, -2.28); P < 0.001] were lower than those of NFP-only users. Moreover, HbA1c concentrations of users of both labels [b: 0.09% (95% CI: 0.03%, 0.16%); P = 0.008] and health claims only [b: 0.13% (95% CI: 0.02%, 0.25%); P = 0.021] were higher than those of NFP-only users. Conclusions: In participants with undiagnosed prediabetes, the use of health claims alone, of both labels, or of neither label (compared with the use of the NFP only) was associated with poorer diet quality. In addition, users of neither label and users of both labels had poorer glycemic control. Further studies are needed to understand why the use of health claims may not be health promoting in this high-risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Developed Countries, the problem of malnutrition is mainly connected to excessive food-intake whose direct consequences can be overweight and obesity. In the last decades, these problems increased significantly and they are expected to rise in the next future. Consumers education towards healthier food models is the main tool to prevent overweight and obesity. The European Union has approached the issue through regulatory actions that, from 2006, have completed the existing general framework of labelling requirements, by providing for specific provisions aimed at protecting the consumer's right to correct information on nutritional and health properties of food. In this framework, the aim of this paper is to verify if after ten years of the introduction of the European Regulation 1924/2006, the declared objectives have been reached. In particular, an analysis in depth, regarding the evolution of lifestyle, health conditions and food production in Italy in the period 2005-2014 has been carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental impact of the production and consumption of food is seldom depicted to consumers. The footprint of food products provides a means for consumers to compare environmental impacts across and within product groups. In this study we apply carbon, nitrogen, and water footprints in tandem and present food labels that could help inform consumers about the environmental impacts of individual food products. The footprint factors used in this study are specific to the United States, but the concept can be applied elsewhere. We propose three methods of footprint calculations: footprint weight, sustainability measures, and % daily value. We apply the three footprint calculation methods to four example labels (stars label, stoplight label, nutrition label add-on, and a detailed comparison label) that vary in design and the amount of detail provided. The stars label is simple and easily understood but provides minimal detail about the footprints. At the other end of the spectrum, the detailed comparison label gives context in relative terms (e.g., carbon emissions for equivalent distance driven) for the food product. Implementing environmental impact food labels requires additional understanding of how consumers use footprint labels, and label suitability may vary for government organizations, retail and local grocers, and farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to describe consumers' retrospective satisfaction with food labels within the expectancy (dis)confirmation paradigm and to investigate the likelihood of food labels influencing consumers' product choices. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional survey approach was followed to explore and describe consumers' satisfaction with attributes of and information on food labels. Self-administered questionnaires ( n = 279) were distributed in Gauteng, South Africa, through convenience sampling. On average, respondents were dissatisfied with label attributes (believability, readability, comprehensibility and adequacy) and with primary information (expiry date, allergens, nutrition/health, ingredient list, quality guarantees), but satisfied with secondary information (usage instructions, manufacturer name, symbols, serving numbers, country of origin). Respondents had higher expectations of primary information and considered it more influential for their purchasing decisions and, therefore, judged the performance of this information more critically than the secondary information. When amendments to and the presentation of food label information are considered, primary information should be a priority. Consumers, who are satisfied with food labels, might be inclined to choose one product over another. This study was the first of its kind, linking satisfaction and product choice to different dimensions of food labels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article facilitates deeper insight into label-related consumer information acquisition behaviour. An integrated framework of label information search (LIS) has been developed based on a synthesis of related literature and explorative research conducted by analysing online discussions among customers (netnography). The framework focuses on three main groups of personal factors that serve as antecedents of LIS: general personal factors (e.g. health consciousness and socio-demographics), label-related personal factors (e.g. label-related self-efficacy, trust in labels and the perceived usefulness of labels) and product category-related personal factors (trust in food products, enduring involvement, experience and perceived quality differences). Important characteristics of the framework are its process-oriented nature and the dynamically changing relationships among its concepts. LIS is an antecedent to and a consequence of influencing factors. This article offers managerial implications and serves to incite future inquiry in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]