How to Communicate Nutritional Information to People: the Attitudes of Chile Population Toward Food

• Published in: The open obesity journal 2013, Vol.5 (1), p.36-42
• Main Authors: Gregori, Dario, Ballali, Simonetta, Vecchio, Maria Gabriella, Contreras, Luis Marcel Valenzuela, Correa, Jorge Baeza, Perez, Cecilia Bahamonde, Luengo, Jorge Barrera, Moyano, Edgardo, Arrieta, Maurizio, Gutierrez, Angelo, Ghidina, Marco, Giunta, Francesco, Walker, Marcela Alvina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1876-8237; 1876-8237
• DOI: 10.2174/1876823720130419004

Nutrition labelling on food products represents an important tool for promoting healthy eating in consumers, and to guarantee transparency and clarity on products' characteristics. In an ideal scenario, consumers' better understanding and subsequently better compliance to nutritional facts would result in healthier choices, which could lead to an improved diet and to a reduction in disease-related risk factors. Research is necessary not only in assessing consumers' preferences towards different labels formats, but also to evaluate their ability to process food labels and their disposition towards new regulations concerning labelling. In our study, an ad-hoc survey was conducted to assess general knowledge and use of different labels and nutrition fact information in a Chilean sample (n= 1280), which was interviewed through a phone survey, performed over a 1-month period, in September 2012. The major part of the interviewees did not habitually read the labels and showed a low interest in paying an additional fee for additional information (89%). The rest was willing to pay an additional fee of the 5%, in order to get information expressed as Kcal per portion in 68% of cases compared to per 100g. Chilean consumers appeared to be interested to nutritional matters and considered nutritional labelling as a proper tool to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Considering the Chilean low knowledge on nutritional labelling, it is necessary to improve nutrition messages and nutrition knowledge among the Chilean population through fast action, especially to help consumers to make health-conscious choices.