A Taste of Wellness for Savoury and Snacks
Givaudan
Australian consumers are reading and using information on food labels to make informed food choices, cites a new study from the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
According to the food agency the survey - 'Food Labelling Issues - Quantitative Research with Consumers' - confirmed that consumers use labels for many reasons and in different ways and some use many more label elements than others.
"Key results showed that the most widely used label elements were the use by/best before dates, ingredients list and Nutrition Information Panel, with over two thirds of consumers reporting using this information," said Australian parliamentary secretary for health, Trish Worth.
She added that endorsements - oft criticised by consumer organisations in Europe - such as the Heart Foundation's 'Pick the tick', and use by/best before dates were rated by consumers as the most clear and easy to understand. They were also rated as the most trustworthy.
The survey highlighted that, like the European consumer, Australians remain slightly wary of genetically modified foods.
"The least used labelling element were the health claims, allergen declarations, genetically modified food declaration, and novel or irradiated food declarations," added Worth.
The survey - that interviewed close to 2,000 people in Australia and New Zealand - was conducted prior to the new Food Standards Code that came into full force in December 2002.