A new study has found that food labels are too complicated for most shoppers to understand.
The research, conducted by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), looked at the understanding of food labels among a sample of 2,000 UK adults.
It found that only a quarter of respondents could correctly interpret the various terms used on food labels, such as ‘traffic light’ symbols, ‘use by’ dates and ‘country of origin’ labels.
The study also found that one in five people had thrown away food because they were confused about the meaning of ‘best before’ dates.
The FSA has now launched a consultation on how to make food labels simpler and more user-friendly.
This is an important issue, as food waste is a major problem in the UK, with the average household throwing away £470 worth of edible food each year.
Confusion over food labels is clearly a contributing factor to this wasted food, and so simplifying labels would be a positive step in reducing the amount of food that is needlessly thrown away.
The consultation is open until the end of March, and you can have your say on what changes you would like to see to food labels by visiting the FSA website.
New research has found that food labels are too complicated for most shoppers to understand. The study, conducted by the University of Toronto, found that only a small minority of shoppers are able to correctly interpret nutrition information on food labels.
The study surveyed 1,000 shoppers in the Toronto area and found that only 13 percent were able to correctly interpret the percent daily values on food labels. percent daily values are the amounts of various nutrients that are recommended for consumption in a day, based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
The researchers also found that only 10 percent of shoppers could correctly interpret the serving size on food labels. Serving sizes on food labels are often much smaller than the amount of food that people actually eat. For example, the serving size for ice cream is often listed as half a cup, even though most people eat more than that.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Jennifer Kuk, says that the findings highlight the need for simplification of food labels. She says that the current system is “confusing and misleading,” and that it puts shoppers at a disadvantage when trying to make healthy choices.
The findings of the study have been published in the journal Appetite.
