Any effects that label information will have on consumer choices and, eventually, dietary intake will be determined by the meaning that consumers attach to the label information. As consumers interpret label information by relating it to their own knowledge base and experiences (including any subjective theories on how food affects health and well-being), this work package researched understanding and health inferences from labels.
Consortium partners researched and evaluated how consumers infer healthfulness from labels in combination with other information.
Focus groups were conducted in selected countries to determine the required and desired information to evaluate the healthfulness of food products. Consumers were also segmented on their attitudes towards health, having a particular health risk as well as socio-demographic characteristics.
Different research techniques were used to determine how consumers infer and classify healthfulness when confronted with products with different types of labels and other informational elements. Exposure time to information was studied in relation to health inferences as well as the impact of prior beliefs. Health perceptions of products were related not only to label information, but also to media usage, advertising exposure and participation in educational activities.
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