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There is growing awareness internationally of the need to reduce intake of added sugars. The purpose of this study was to examine consumer sugar knowledge and food label use.

This cross-sectional online survey included 229 adult participants (85% female and 15% male). Participants completed measures of demographics, sugar knowledge, interest in food and nutrition, food choice motivations and beliefs and food label use. The sample of convenience showed that participants were from Australasia (n = 90), the USA (n = 90) and other Western (Europe and Canada, n = 49) countries.

Overall, participant sugar knowledge predicted nutrition label use over and above individual demographic and psychological characteristics (interest in food and nutrition, health beliefs and food choice motivations) (p < 0.001). Country comparisons revealed that those in Australasia reported lower sugar knowledge compared to the USA (p =< 0.001) and other Western countries (p = 0.028).

Overall, participant sugar knowledge predicted nutrition label use over and above individual demographic and psychological characteristics (interest in food and nutrition, health beliefs and food choice motivations) (p < 001). Country comparisons revealed that those in Australasia reported lower sugar knowledge compared to the USA (p =< 0.001) and other Western countries (p = 0.028).

This study explored sugar knowledge as a unique predictor of food label use, taking into account individual characteristics in demographics, food choice motivations and health beliefs.

This study aims to determine the effect of health knowledge on nutrition-label use and attitude, and consequently on healthy food choice among Malaysian Muslim consumers.

This study adopts the positivist, deductive and quantitative approach. A sample consisting of 257 Muslim consumers, at least 15 years old, were selected using systematic street-intercept sampling method. Data collected using a self-administered questionnaire were analysed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling (SEM).

The findings reveal the significant positive effect of health knowledge on nutrition-label use and attitude towards nutrition label, but only attitude towards nutrition label significantly predicts healthy food choice.

Though the findings add to the existing literature, provide useful information on how nutrition label could guide the consumer to make healthier food choices and serve as a reference point that could stimulate and guide future researchers and other relevant parties, this study is limited by several factors that require replication in future research.

This research is perhaps one of the first attempts to consider the role of nutrition label as one of the ways to comply with the Tayyib principle.

An attempt was made to explore the use of nutrition labelling in the Indian context. The purpose of this paper is to study the determinants of healthier food choices, as well as the role of label use in this context.

Data were collected from 150 respondents using the survey method and field experiment. The respondents were enquired about various aspects of label use and were asked to make a choice, from two products in three food product categories, on the basis of real information. Multivariate probit models were built for product choice situations.

Moderate to low use of nutrition labelling was found. Significant differences in label use were found on the basis of gender (Sugar (p = 0.011), Additives (p = 0.014), Proteins (p = 0.03)) and education (Additives (p = 0.002), Colouring agents (p = 0.003), Transfats (p < 0.001)). Higher label use was leading (p = 0.031) to more likelihood of choosing healthier potato chips. Women reported higher label use (p = 0.004) but were choosing relatively unhealthier health supplement (p = 0.003). Effect of price was not unidirectional in terms of making healthier food choices. It was observed that label use is not solely responsible for aiding the choice of healthier food products. Individual characteristics were playing important role in choice of food products.

Findings indicate that merely provision of label information is not adequate for the choice of better food options. Provision of labelling information in simple format and equipping the consumers to make effective use of the same carry importance.

The paper is original and makes an attempt to study the effect of label use, along with the individual characteristics, on healthier food choices. Given the availability of few studies in the domain from the emerging markets, the paper adds to the existing body of knowledge.

This study aims to determine the effects of nutrition knowledge on the use of nutrition facts labels in emerging adults by defining the nutrition education status.

For this cross-sectional study, 919 young adults, aged 18–24 years, were recruited. Participants trained by dietetic professional at least 2 h per week during the period of at least one education period were considered as having nutrition education. Food label use, specific circumstances and different food products were recorded. The participants were also asked about their attitudes regarding food label use with a questionnaire including 15 products.

Nutrition facts label is mainly used when buying a product for the first time, a product of an unknown brand or comparing different companies’ similar products, regardless of nutrition education status. Participants with nutrition education had a higher nutrition facts label use and they use the score for specific food products including breakfast cereal (p = 0.003), snacks (p < 0.001), beverages (p = 0.004), ready to eat soups (p = 0.004) and diet products for special occasions (p < 0.001). Mean total score of attitudes regarding food label use for participants who had nutrition education was found as 58.9 ± 6.1 and who did not have nutrition education was found as 51.7 ± 9.2 (p < 0.01).

Nutrition education, which is related to the nutrition facts label use, would be especially useful in helping people for the selection of healthier foods. As habits acquired from childhood will last for a lifetime, more effective nutrition education programs and nutrition label reading education programs should be designed. The findings need to be considered for promoting nutrition facts label use by developing nutrition education.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the indirect effects of nutritional knowledge and attitude toward food label use on food label use through self-efficacy and trust, as well as whether gender moderates this relationship.

A sample of Indian adults with multiple chronic conditions was surveyed about their nutritional knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy and use of food labels. Hypotheses were tested using Hayes’s (2013) PROCESS macro for SPSS.

The results show that nutritional knowledge and attitude toward food label use positively predict food label use through self-efficacy and trust. However, these mediation effects are moderated by gender such that the indirect relationship is stronger among men than women.

Food marketers and government agencies engaged in nutrition education campaigns should aim to increase patients’ confidence in comprehending food label information.

Since food labels can be a valuable tool to help patients with chronic diseases to make informed decisions about their diet and lifestyle, regulators may consider mandating nutritional labels on foods to help them improve their food or dietary choices.

This study uniquely applies Fisher and Fisher’s (1992) information–motivation–behavioral skills model as a theoretical framework to examine the influence of nutrition knowledge and attitude toward food label use on food label usage of Indian patients with multiple chronic diseases.

Increasing consumer interest in nutrition has led to an increased interest in nutrition labelling. Finds that over half (58 per cent) of the sample surveyed read nutrition labels. Nutrition labelling was found to have an impact on consumer purchase decisions. Of those consumers who read nutritional labels, 81 per cent use them in their evaluation of food products. Consumers have to deduce information from nutrition labels in their current format. Survey findings reinforce previous work carried out in this area, particularly in the context of consumer categorization of food products as “good” or “bad”. For example, consumer avoidance of “negative” nutrients is apparent throughout the survey. The majority of respondents, who read labels, indicated that they search out information on nutrients they wish to avoid. In general, since time allocated to shopping for food products is limited, the format of nutritional labelling needs further consideration and improvement. The concept of nutrition should be incorporated into food companies’ marketing strategy.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the usefulness of nutrition labels in Thailand during nutrition transition from traditional to modern diets that increase salt, sugar, and calorie intake and to note socio-demographic interactions and associations with consumption of transitional processed foods.

The authors studied 42,750 distance learning Open University adults aged 23-96 years in 2013 residing nationwide and participating in an ongoing community-based prospective cohort study. The authors used multivariable logistic regression to relate nutrition label experiences (“read”, “good understand”, “frequent use”), socio-demographic factors, and consumption of four transitional foods. These foods included “unhealthy” instant foods, carbonated soft drinks, and sweet drinks, or “healthy” milk.

Overall, two-thirds reported good understanding and frequent use of nutrition labels. Unhealthy transition-indicator processed foods were frequently consumed: instant foods (7 per cent), (carbonated) soft drinks (15 per cent), and sweet drinks (41 per cent). Frequent users of nutrition labels (e.g. females, older persons, professionals) were less likely to consume unhealthy indicator foods. Those with the most positive overall nutrition label experience (“read” + “good understanding” + “frequent use”) had the best indicator food profiles: instant foods (odds ratio (OR) 0.63; 95%CI, 0.56-0.70); soft drinks (OR 0.56; 95%CI, 0.52-0.61); sweet drinks (OR 0.79; 95%CI, 0.74-0.85); milk (OR 1.87; 95%CI, 1.74-2.00).

Knowledge protected – those with most nutrition label experience were least likely to consume unhealthy foods. Results support government regulated nutrition labels, expanding to include sweet drinks. The study is remarkable for its large size and nationwide footprint. Study subjects were educated, represent Thais of the future, and show high awareness of transition-indicator foods.

The globally recognised link between diet and health needs to be communicated to consumers to facilitate healthy food choices. Thus, this paper aims to determine South African (SA) metropolitan consumers' opinions and beliefs about the food-health link, as well as their opinions and use of health information on food labels.

A cross-sectional study using fieldworker-administered questionnaires was conducted. Using stratified randomised sampling, 1,997 respondents were recruited. The data were weighted to represent the metropolitan SA adult population (n=10,695,000).

Practically significantly more respondents agreed than disagreed there is a food-health link and that health messages on food labels are supported by scientific research. Respondents' opinions on health information on food labels were mostly positive, as confirmed by the average opinions for the different ethnic groups. The results identified a lack of interest, time and price concerns, and habitual purchasing as reasons for not reading food labels. Health-concerned respondents also considered labels as important health information sources.

Consumer education on the food-health link and the use of health information on food labels should address the deficiencies identified through the opinions and use of food labels by these respondents.

Representative results of SA metropolitan consumers in this study are significant since third world countries are burdened by various diseases and former studies only used limited-sized non-probability samples which could not be generalised.

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.

The primary purpose is to examine the factors that affect the use of nutritional facts, nutrient content claims and health claims on food label use in the United Kingdom.

The paper reports the results of a survey of over 300 face‐to‐face interviews with shoppers of Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury – three of the major supermarkets in the UK.

Product class involvement factors, individual characteristics, health‐related factors (nutritional knowledge, health locus of control, perceived need of dietary change), situational, attitudinal and behavioral factors were found to be significant factors affecting the use of nutritional information and nutritional and health claims on food labeling. While the use of nutritional information and health claims increases with the stated importance of “nutrition” and “family preferences”, it is less likely among shoppers for whom “taste” is an important driver of food purchasing behaviour. There is also evidence of mistrust in health claims, as indicated by the negative relationship between the consideration of such claims and the stated importance of “quality” and perceived need to “change dietary quality” – the more discerning shoppers are the least likely to consider health claims.

The study provides evidence that a wider range of product class involvement factors is necessary to predict the use of nutritional information and nutritional and health claims on food labeling. It also offers a conceptualization of health‐related factors to include health locus of control as a predictor of the acquisition of nutrition and health information.