CONSUMER COMPREHENSION AND USAGE OF NUTRITIONAL LABELING IN FOOD PURCHASING
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Date
2013
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Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka
Abstract
With the increased health consciousness and diet-health awareness, consumers tend to concern more on healthiness of their food items. At the moment, most food manufacturers and marketers have placed nutritional labeling on packed food in order to facilitate consumers to be more informed and to make healthier decisions in purchasing their food. CIC Agri Businesses, along with the tag line, "Towards a Nutritious and Healthy Nation" have identified the raised demand for healthy food and, as a differentiation strategy; nutrition facts label is placed on each of their food item to make a sense on consumers about nutrition quality of the food. Though this nutrition labeling is still appearing on the package, it is needed to assess how this is utilized by consumers in food purchasing. Hence, this study was designed to evaluate the effect of different labeling factors, product factors and background factors on consumer comprehension and usage intention of nutritional labeling. A questionnaire that covers all relevant factors was employed to collect data from 150 super market consumers in Kandy and Colombo districts using stratified sampling technique. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression with Minitab 15 statistical software and Microsoft Excel 2007. Results showed tltiat a greater proportion of individuals of 31 to 40 years, individuals with tertioiy education, households with five to six members and females were having high6f usage intention of nutritional label. Consumer friendliness of nutrition label; noticeability, readability, interpretability and liking were more important. As well, perceived healthiness of food, time pressure, willingness to pay for label information, and occasion of nutrition label use were too significant for consumer intention to use it. In general, majority of the consumers had somewhat lower usage intention of nutrition label.
Key Words: Nutritional Labeling, CIC, Food Healthiness, Consumer, Purchasing
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Export Agriculture Degree Programme (EAG)