Recognising that food labelling can only have an effect on informed healthy choices if the consumer is exposed to the label, pays attention to it (either consciously or subconsciously), and if the information is taken into the perceptual system (reading), this work package researched attention and reading of labels.
Most previous research has investigated label perception and use after forced exposure and largely from a conscious information processing point of view. This work package extends that insight by focusing on unconscious effects obtained from behavioural and psycho-physiological methods to identify key determinants in label features, product (category) and shelf organisation factors, and characteristics of the choice task.
The consortium partners identified and quantified key determinants of consumers’ attention to and reading of food labels in realistic situations. Special attention was given to understanding key determinants of how labels attract attention from children and from mothers purchasing children's products.
The consortium partners usedstate-of-the-art technology and facilities to track conscious and subconscious indicators of consumer attention to and reading of food labels.
Focus groups were conducted in selected countries to assess and quantify the (relative) impact of key determinants in driving consumer attention and reading of nutrition labels.
Publications
Van Herpen E & van Trijp H (2010) Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labels: Their Effect on Attention and Choices when Consumers have Varying Goals and Time Constraints. Appetite 57(1): 148-160
Bialkova S & van Trijp H (2010) What determines consumer attention to nutrition labels? Food Quality and Preference 21(8): 1042-1051. Article in Press, Corrected Proof (click here)
Bialkova S & van Trijp H (2011) An efficient methodology for assessing attention to and effect of nutrition information front of pack. Food Quality and Preference 22(6): 592-601
Bialkova S & van Trijp H (2010) Standing out in the crowd: the effect of information clutter on consumer attention for front-of-pack nutrition labels. Critical reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (rejected) Ready for submission
Bialkova S & van Trijp H (2011) Information context matters in detection and identification of information: Reply to Wertheim et al. (2011) Food Quality and Preference, 22 (8), 786-787
Akgungor S, van Trijp H, van Herpen E, Gulcan Y, Kustepeli Y (2011) Gıda Etiketlerine Yönelik Dikkat ve Algı: Dokuz Eylul Universitesinde Uygulanan Göz Harakatleri İzleme Deneyi Sonuçları (in Turkish) (Awareness and Perception of Food Labels: Results of an Eye Tracking Experiment in Dokuz Eylül University). The Journal of Graduate School of Social Sciences Dokuz Elul University 13(3): 7-18
Podcast interview with Professor Hans van Trijp, who leads this work package, on first results from his FLABEL research (click here)
