Consumer Perception of Food Labels

This assignment delves into consumer attitudes towards various types of food labeling. It examines the impact of nutritional labeling on purchasing behavior, exploring consumer motivations, understanding of label information, and preferences for different labeling systems (front-of-package vs. shelf labels). The analysis also considers the role of factors like sustainability and origin in shaping consumer choices. The provided references cover studies on consumer perceptions of local food, meat products, nutritional labeling effectiveness, and the influence of calorie labeling.

Running head: BUSINESS RESEARCH
Business Research
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Research Title: Impact of nutritional labeling on the consumer buying behavior
Abstract
The nutritional level in food plays a vital role in our daily life. It helps to the consumer to know
how the nutritional level in the food packaging effect in our health condition. In this study the
objectives has been chooses to research on the nutritional labeling and the factors which help to
influence the consumer to identify the health impact while buying food from the market. Now
days the consumers are become more aware while they are buying food and get the informations
about the nutritious value for their health. The nutritional labeling helps them to know every
information about the food product and identified the different nutrients which are helpful for
their health. The companies who are the manufacturers of the food products also need to take
initiative steps to promote about the packaging and labeling of nutrients for increasing their
consumers and awareness about the healthy life. In this research paper the impact of nutritional
labeling on the consumer buying behavior has been discussed with a brief discussion.

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Project Objective.............................................................................................................................3
Project Scope...................................................................................................................................4
Literature Review............................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................12
Reference List................................................................................................................................13

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Introduction
Labeling is the statement which is printed, written or graphic matter in any packaging like
container or wrappers and also part of the packaging of the product. The seller or the
manufactures of the product always make sure that the product has a proper labeling and tag
attached where the detail information of the product is given (Nuttavuthisit and Thøgersen 2017).
The labeling of the product is carrying their brand name of manufacturing and sometimes the
consumer prefers to looks for the brand name before they buy the food products. The labeling is
not only providing the information of the product but also help to establish the market value
according to the commodities to highly processed, value-added products (Grunert, Hieke and
Wills 2014).
The nutrients defines the food value of the product whether those products are healthy to
eat and help to keep track on the different food nutrients like fat and sugar, sodium and fiber,
protein and carbohydrates. Therefore, when the consumers are buying the product it helps them
to understand about the best food values for better and healthier diet (Nuttavuthisit and
Thøgersen 2017). Nutritional labeling is important for the seller because it effects on the
consumer purchase behavior regarding the products and their nutrients values (Hersey et al.
2013). When consumer finds in the labeling that the food is unhealthy, then they never buy the
product. The more presence of nutrients level is increasing in the food products and they
mentioned about it in the labeling, more the consumers will prefer to buy the products from the
food market. Consumers are always beliefs on the labeling on the food product where they can
look for nutrients and get to know about nutrients values because consumers has a better
selection of money.

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Project Objective
The consumer behavior is depends on the nutritional labeling of the food products because the
value of the food nutrients will help them to judge healthy foods. It was also found in several
researches that 70% consumers are nowadays looks for the nutrients value in the package
labeling. Consumers are suffering from the several diseases so whenever they are looking for
healthy foods they focused on the nutrients level on the labeling because no one will examine the
food quality personally but must depends on the nutrients levels in labeling (Hersey et al. 2013).
Therefore the consumer behavior must change according to their impact on their health and
wellness.
It has always been found that the consumer buying behavior always depends on the
quality of the food products which also influenced on the economic, cultural, and psychological
and lifestyle factors of the human life (Nuttavuthisit and Thøgersen 2017). In many countries and
states it has been found that the nutrient value of food depends on the growth of the children
especially in the rural areas. However, in the recent globalized decades it has been found that
consumers are become more aware about the demand for high value food products like fruits,
vegetables, milk, meat, eggs and fish. Therefore, when they are buying products from the market
they must look for the equal nutrients value from every packaged food which they get directly
from fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, eggs and fish(Grunert, Hieke and Wills 2014).
In several research it has been found that the food value and expire dates are always
checked by the consumers before they buy the products. In was also have found that the 26% of
consumers are always looks for expire dates and compare foods whereas, 16% of the consumers

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looks for the nutrients value of the food products. The other 18% of consumers looked only for
the brand name on the labeling of the food products. And the rest of the consumers never think to
check the nutrients level of the food product because of technical complications, time
consuming, unreliability and inconsistency. Therefore it is the duty of the manufacturers to
mention every details of the nutrients value in the food products for the awareness of food safety
(Hersey et al. 2013).
Project Scope
The consumers always depend on the several TV commercial to know the food value or a
minimum overlook on the packaging of the food products. They also collect information from
internet, friends, books or magazines. Therefore it is the duty of the manufacturer to focus on the
commercial and the packaging of the food products. The consumers always look for the
information where they feel that the presence of nutrient value may increase their health risk.
However, there are not many theoretical or guidelines for increasing the nutritional labeling on
food items (Nuttavuthisit and Thøgersen 2017).
In several researches it has been found that male consumers are less aware about the
nutritional value of the food product rather those female consumers. Therefore when the female
consumers go to market for buying foods they look for the nutrients level in the food packaging.
When the nutrients label in packaging of the food increase the value of selling then it is the duty
of the manufactures that they should always mentioned about the nutrient charts in the labeling.
The consumers search also depends on individually according to their characters like sex, age,
education, household size, special diet status and monthly income (Hersey et al. 2013).

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In this research it was also found that according to the needs of the customer they choose
their food. More of them look for the nutrients chart or some customers never bothered about the
charts rather than the brand name or the packaging of the food products. Therefore in the
marketing management it is important that when any manufacturer company want to increase
their business value then they first need to attract more consumers through several TV
commercials and the packaging of the products where not only the included the nutrients value
but also help to become more healthy (Nuttavuthisit and Thøgersen 2017).
Fig: 1(Hersey et al. 2013)
In this above image it has details of the several nutrients value of the food products. Here
several of nutrients has been mentioned which is helpful for the customers who are buying the
foods. The details of quantity of various nutrients levels help to the consumers to understand
which product will be best for their health (Hersey et al. 2013).

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Fig: 2 (Grunert, Hieke and Wills 2014)
In this fig: 2 details of how many customers buying the products according to the
nutrients level has been showed. It is one of the most valued chart has been displayed which will
be helpful for the product manufacturer that they will know the importance of putting the
nutrients chart in the labeling. It is the duty of the manufacture that they will make the best
relationship with the consumers by providing them several helpful ways to find the best food
products for them (Nuttavuthisit and Thøgersen 2017).
Therefore it is the aim of this research paper to give outcomes of the labeling of nutrient
values in the food packaging and as well as maintain the best relationship with the consumers.
Literature Review
The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) in the United States of America
(USA) thinks that the labeling of the food nutrients value in the packaging help to attract the
consumers and also helps to the manufacturers get the best value in the marketing. The nutrient
level helps to understand the consumers about the nutritional properties of a food. According to
Centre for Food Safety in Hong Kong they think it is a systemic way to give details of the

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nutrients value of the food (Nuttavuthisit and Thøgersen 2017). The nutrients label uses a proper
fact where nutrition information, nutrition fact or nutrition labels is defines. The nutrients label
helps a customer to select from several products and also helps them to encourage about the
healthy products (Hersey et al. 2013).
Fig: 3
The nutrients label can be define in three ways which includes the following:
 The food labels which includes the tag, brand, mark, pictorial or other descriptive matter,
written, printed, stenciled, marked, painted, embossed of the company for ant foods
 The nutritional details which include food label declaring the amount of nutrients
contained in the foods.
 The nutritional label where the nutrients levels have been displayed according to the
nutrients facts of the food values.
The nutrients is the simple facts and details about the healthy diet by how the customer
keep tracks that how much of nutrients like fat and sugar, sodium and fiber, protein and
carbohydrates they are getting from the foods. Therefore not only the decoration of the

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packaging depends but also the nutrient values or label help to the customer to buy foods because
they are aware about their health (Hersey et al. 2013). By providing a nutritional label in the food
packaging assists the customer in making healthier choice (Grunert, Hieke and Wills 2014).
Fig: 4
The food nutrients level affects three basis things which are:
 The basic food product information helps the consumer to know the nutrient value of the
food and how it will effect to their health. The details of the nutrients labeling also help to
those patient who are under any medical treatment or any difficulties (Nuttavuthisit and
Thøgersen 2017).
 Marketing and advertising is another important strategy for the manufacturer of the food
products. The food products which has more details about the nutrient value, the
consumer will prefer to buy those products rather that the products which has less
information. Several advertisement or the TV commercials also help them to get more
attentions from the consumers who are preferred healthier nutrient value foods (Hersey et
al. 2013).

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 Healthy and nutritional safety is the most important factor of the labeling of the foods.
The more nutrients value will make the food healthier. The risk factors of the food
industry also depend in the healthy and nutritional safety because without the packaging
of the food products it is not possible to sell them. The nutrients charts carry the details of
the manufacturing and the dates show the consumer when it has been made and how long
it will safe for them to keep it. Therefore the nutrients safety is more important for the
consumers (Hersey et al. 2013).
Fig: 5 (Nuttavuthisit and Thøgersen 2017)
The food packaging not only displayed the nutrient level of the food products but also it
includes the direction of use of the product because sometimes wrong use of foods makes the
unhealthy impacts. The nutritional informational panel where the different types of nutrients use
in the food has been included. The ingredients which are used for the processing of the food and
their values also includes in the packaging (Hersey et al. 2013). The most important is the date

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for the use of the product also mentioned in the labeling. The brand name, product name and the
contact details of the manufacture also included in the labeling (Grunert, Hieke and Wills 2014).
It is important to mention every detail of the products because it will help the manufacturer
company to attract the consumers and the consumers will also know every little detail about the
product before they buy the products from the markets. In the fig: 5 it is a picture of a food
product where the details of the labeling has been given (Nuttavuthisit and Thøgersen 2017).
The details of the food labeling is important because the consumers response on the food
labeling information. If any products labeling carry the various information about the nutrient
levels then the consumers beliefs on the products which help the manufacturer in their marketing
business. In a research it has been found that the female consumers are more concern before they
buying the food products (Font-i-Furnols and Guerrero 2014). According to the gender
specification male consumers are looks for the products where the information on health risk,
size of serving an indication of vegetarian or non-vegetarian specifications has been given.
However the females are look more concerned before buying the product about the price of
product, best before and expiry dates, nutrient information list and information on use or
preparation methods (Nuttavuthisit and Thøgersen 2017). Therefore it can be stated that when
someone buying the food products always make their concerns of buying the products (Hersey et
al. 2013). It has been found that the traditional roles of female consumers are the gatekeeper of
household food choices and purchases could motivate their interest in food labels of the food
products. Furthermore, their responsibility towards the well-being of their family also creates an
awareness of the nutritional content of food because the more nutrients mean a healthier life
(Grunert, Hieke and Wills 2014).

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In another study it has been found that the buying the food product cording to the nutrients
labeling depends on the individual characteristics of the consumers. According to the age, gender
and education they buy the food like the consumers who are young are little conscious about the
nutrients values because they buy the products which they like the most whereas, the middle age
consumers are always looks for the foods which has the more nutrients (Font-i-Furnols and
Guerrero 2014). The female consumers are more aware rather than the male consumers about the
nutrient labeling. Education is one of the main factors to know about the nutrient of the foods. So
when a person is educated and has a minimum knowledge about the nutrient always looks for the
nutrients in the food labeling whereas, those who has no knowledge about the nutrients factors
may avoid the nutrition labeling. They can pick any food products which they like to buy
(Hersey et al. 2013).
According to the situational, behavioral and attitudinal factor consumers can buy the foods
which includes income because according to the income of the consumers they are buying
nutrients food (Font-i-Furnols and Guerrero 2014). According to working status consumers
having their foods like the workers used to have food which is heavy meal but the corporate
people are more conscious about their health, therefore they use light meal food which has more
nutrients value. Some of the consumers like to shop more and the special diet consumers always
prefer to check the nutrient labeling in the food packaging (Hersey et al. 2013). Diet-health
awareness and organic buyers always search food according the most nutrient value products
(Nuttavuthisit and Thøgersen 2017). The household like underage or preschool children, married
consumers, and household size buy food according to their needs. The meal planners have found
the food with high calories because they prefer the tests more rather than the healthy values
(Grunert, Hieke and Wills 2014) (Font-i-Furnols and Guerrero 2014).

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Conclusion
According to the above study, it can be concluded that consumers use the nutrients labeling when
they decides to buy some food and awareness of healthy benefits. In some research it has also
been found that some consumers are agrees to pay extra charges for the nutritional information
provided on food items. In additionally it also included that the consumers who are on special
dietary status such as diabetics, or heart disease, or vegetarian want to spend more money for
nutrients labeling. In the analysis of the research paper it has also been found that consumers
search on the food product also depends on individually according to their characters like sex,
age, education, household size, special diet status and monthly income (Nuttavuthisit and
Thøgersen 2017).
Accordingly, it could be stated that incorporation of a nutritional panel on the package
would enhance the demand for the local food products and it would be an appropriate strategic
task for the local food processors. Thereby, these local producers could compete with the other
products with nutritional labels and also it would be an ideal strategy in penetrating export
markets where the nutritional panel is a legal requirement (Font-i-Furnols and Guerrero 2014). It
is noted that both rural and urban consumer have different level of awareness regarding the
nutritional labeling. By the use of the nutrients labeling helps us to make the awareness better
and helps to get the healthier life.

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