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Previous studies have shown high levels of self‐reported nutrition label use, yet when tested consumers have difficulty in using label information effectively. Using verbal protocol analysis, this study explored nutrition label use directly, identifying the tasks consumers actually undertake, and how these are used to inform choice. The implications of the findings for labelling policy and nutrition education are discussed.

Nutrition labels are seen as offering the potential to educate consumers about healthy eating and to encourage and enable them to make healthy food choices. This study used verbal protocol analysis, a method new to food choice research, to examine which parts of the nutrition label are currently used by consumers when shopping “normally” and for “healthy” foods. The implications of the findings for nutrition educators are discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the socio‐demographic and health variables of a representative sample of Croatian subjects over 15 years of age associated with reading nutrition labels and, in particular, to examine the association of age characteristics of “label users” with nutrition reading habits.

A total of 1,011 randomly selected subjects over 15 years of age were interviewed by telephone. Moreover, 638 “label users” were recruited for assessing nutrition label habits.

Of the subjects, 36 per cent claimed that they had never, 25 per cent rarely, 19 per cent always and 15 per cent sometimes read nutrition labels. Females, participants with the highest levels of education, still undergoing education, physically active and on special diets claimed that they were more likely to read nutrition labels. Among “label users”, younger participants mentioned “curiosity” as the most important reason for reading nutrition labels, while older participants more often pointed out “wish for healthy eating habits”. “Interpretational aids” were often mentioned among younger participants for easier understanding of nutritional information, while older participants requested “bigger letter size”.

The present study provides a starting point for establishing nutrition education targeted at specific groups of consumers. Research is limited to the subject's self‐reported nutrition label reading. Future research is needed to explore the differences between “label users” and “’non‐users”.

As the study showed, a notable difference exists between younger and older subjects regarding nutrition habits that could help experts toward effective communication. Nevertheless, the study could fill the research gaps in nutrition reading habits of specific groups of consumers in European countries, other than northern Europe.

The fast-food market is one area which faces little regulation of visible nutritional information on menus and food packaging to encourage healthy food choices. Additionally, nutritional information’s effectiveness is mostly unknown in the fast-food market. The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the effectiveness of various forms of nutritional labelling methods and information by analysing the consumer decision-making process of 248 fast-food consumers.

Three discrete choice experiments are used to compare three popular nutritional symbol methods. Consumer preferences for these symbols are extracted using a “choice-based” conjoint analysis, while controlling for price and branding of fast-food products.

It is found that a very simple “traffic light signal” is the best signal for suggesting healthiness, with as much as 41 per cent of the importance in consumer decision making (p<0.01), over that of product pricing and even product brand and performs better than more information laden guided daily amounts symbols and health endorsement methods (attributing 27 and 13 per cent in their respective studies). This highlights the fine balance between too much and too little food nutrition information and (most notably) how specific nutritional information methods can be even more influential on food choices than a change in product price might.

There is currently a lack of research into the use of nutritional cues on influencing fast-food choices. Additionally, most previous studies focus on the isolated effect of nutrition labels.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate gym and non‐gym users' use and understanding of nutrition labels.

A consumer survey in the form of a questionnaire conducted in the Greater London area in February/March 2005. Subject recruitment process took place in both a gym and university setting. Frequency tables and χ²‐test are used to assess relationships between variables (p=0.05).

The resulting sample consisted of 187 subjects, with predominance of females and gym users. Of the subjects, 88 per cent reported to at least occasionally read nutrition labels, with higher reading rates amongst women, irrespective of gym user status. Total and saturated fats are the most often information viewed on labels, however the overall knowledge of the calorie content of fat is low, with 53 per cent of subjects responding saturated fat contains more calories per gram when compared with other types of fats. This paper does not find significant differences in the use and understanding of nutrition labels between gym and non‐gym users, but highlights the publics' continued lack of understanding of nutrition labels.

This paper is unique as it investigates whether there is any difference between gym/non‐gym users' use and interpretation of use of nutrition labels. It finds gender impacted more on nutritional labels knowledge than gym user's status. This points to a gender issue and questions the quality of information available to the general public. This paper is valuable as it highlights and identifies an area that requires further research and assessment, and is therefore useful to key stakeholders responsible for public health nutrition.

This study aims to examine consumer involvement with nutrition labels in the USA. Although food label information including nutrition, size and color are standardized and mandated by Food and Drug Administration, consumers perceive some food labels more confusing than others and many ignore the information by seeing them as unimportant. This study measures the importance of different nutrients and examines the differences between consumers that read nutrition labels and consumers that do not read nutrition labels.

In total, 300 consumers were surveyed using Qualtrics internet panel about the importance of nutrition information on food labels. Importance of food nutrients and food serving, size as they impact consumer involvement with food labels, was measured using structural equation modeling.

The results indicate perceived risk associated with nutrition labels, and food serving size information impacts consumer involvement with nutrition labels.

There are a variety of important public policy implications for government agencies and food manufacturers in educating the public about the use of nutrition information on food labels.

This study expands previous research by adding three more nutrients to the dietary scale from nutrition labels (sodium, cholesterol and carbohydrates) and focuses mainly on the nutrients that are considered to be negative for most people.

To survey consumers living in Paris, France, to determine the extent to which they use nutrition labels, and to determine the percentage of French consumers who use nutrition labels, how often they use nutrition labels, and how they would like to see current nutrition labels improved. The researchers also wanted to determine the reasons why consumers do not use nutrition labels, and to try and assess users' and non‐users' perceptions about mandatory nutrition labelling.

French consumers (n  =  355) were surveyed in supermarkets in Paris and its suburbs, using a 21‐item questionnaire in May 2004. Interviewers used questionnaires to assess the frequency of respondents' nutrition label use, to investigate the specific nutrient information most commonly consulted on nutrition labels, the types of products on which consumers most often tend to consult nutrition labels, and to collect demographic information.

Only 45.1 per cent of the sample reported reading nutrition labels, with the majority of consumers reading labels only occasionally. Non‐label readers cited lack of interest as the primary reason why they do not read labels, but 95 per cent of the sample, when asked about mandatory nutrition labeling, felt that nutrition labeling should be required of food manufacturers. Research limitations/implications The sample size was small, participation was voluntary and was limited to the city of Paris and its suburbs, and therefore cannot be generalized to the French population.

This is the first study to collect data in a point‐of‐purchase setting in order to examine whether or not French consumers use nutrition labels.

This pilot study for a larger research project aims to quantify and categorise elements of food label information and establishes an indicative physical relationship between mandatory and other information thereby articulating the relative balance between information intended to inform healthy dietary choices and that intended to perform other functions such as aiding purchase decisions.

The methodology employs quantitative content analysis performed on a number of different canned food labels (n=9).

Findings indicate the amount of available space on labels devoted to mandatory information ranged between 17 and 31 per cent, whilst the amount allocated to commercial information ranged between 18 and 45 per cent. Unoccupied space varies between 32 and 54 per cent. This indicates there is an imbalance between mandatory and commercial information, with the weighting in favour of the latter.

The small sample size precludes generalization.

An extended version of this research could influence government and corporate policy in establishing a balance between the prominence given to different categories of label information, favouring that which is more “health positive”. Alternately, information could be presented in a larger format, thereby assisting a wider range of consumers to make healthy and informed dietary choices: both outcomes have positive health implications for the population. Another outcome is the formal classification of label information elements thereby enabling clearer comparisons to be made between consumers' food label interactions.

This is the first time content analysis has been conducted on food labels. The paper is also unique in proposing a formal taxonomy for food label information. It has value for those working on policy issues.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse how the nutritional traffic light can reduce consumers’ intention to purchase unhealthy food by eliciting negative emotions (i.e. fear and guilt). The work also examines the moderating role of income in the above-mentioned relationships.

The empirical study was conducted in Ecuador. In an initial phase, exploratory research was carried out with two focus groups. Then a quasi-experiment was conducted with 330 participants following a 3×2 design, in which the nutritional traffic light for a dairy product (green, yellow, red) and the variable income (high and low income) were manipulated.

Traffic light colours (red, yellow and green) significantly influence consumers’ levels of fear and guilt as well as their intention to purchase. Income has also been found to have a moderating effect on the above relationships.

Further understanding of how nutritional labels influence consumer behaviour may have beneficial effects for public authorities attempting to improve citizens’ health and for society as a whole. It may also help firms that produce and market packaged foods to be aware of what type of foods new consumers want and adapt their offering in consequence.

The main contribution of this work is the analysis of the influence of the nutritional traffic light on emotions, namely, fear and guilt and how these emotions lead consumers to control their consumption of unhealthy foods. In addition, the present work proposes the moderating effect of income on the influence of colour on emotions and purchase intention.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of visual information cues such as a heart icon vs the calories and fat content on the selection of healthy food in fast-food restaurants (FFRs).

An online survey design providing a fast-food menu was implemented to collect responses from the participants. The survey respondents were recruited from a large South-western university in the USA. The research model was tested using logistic regression.

Data analysis shows that visual information plays a significant role in healthy food selection in FFRs. The authors findings show that the heart icons have a statistically significant effect on food choices, while calories and fat content information did not affect the participants’ selections vs no information.

Dietary choices and obesity are a serious social concern. This study provides support for the effect of a heart icon symbol on food choice in fast-food selection. The implication is that labelling FFR menus with symbols such as our heart icon will have a positive impact on healthy food selection vs the more usual inclusion of calorie and fat information.