Use of food label information by urban consumers in India - a study among supermarket shoppers.

OBJECTIVE: To study consumer knowledge and use of food labels. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study employing both quantitative and qualitative methods. Intercept interviews were conducted with 1832 consumers at supermarket sites selected using a stratified random sampling procedure. This information was triangulated with twenty-one focus group discussions. SETTING: New Delhi and Hyderabad, two metro-cities from north and south India. SUBJECTS: Adolescent (10-19 years), adult (20-59 years) and elderly (≥60 years) consumers. RESULTS: While the national urban literacy rate is 84 %, about 99 % of the study participants were educated. About 45 % reported that they buy pre-packaged foods once weekly and about a fifth buy them every day. Taste, quality, convenience and ease of use are the main reasons for buying pre-packaged foods. Although 90 % of consumers across the age groups read food labels, the majority (81 %) looked only for the manufacturing date or expiry/best before date. Of those who read labels, only a third checked nutrition information and ingredients. Nutrient information on labels was not often read because most consumers either lacked nutrition knowledge or found the information too technical to understand. About 60 % read quality symbols. A positive association was found between education level and checking various aspects of food labels. Women and girls concerned about 'fat' and 'sugar' intake read the nutrition facts panel. CONCLUSIONS: The intention of promoting healthy food choices through use of food labels is not being completely met. Since a majority of people found it difficult to comprehend nutrition information, there is a need to take up educational activities and/or introduce new forms of labelling.

Focus group studies on food safety knowledge, perceptions, and practices of school-going adolescent girls in South India.

OBJECTIVE: To understand food safety knowledge, perceptions, and practices of adolescent girls. DESIGN: Focus group discussions (FGDs) with 32 groups selected using stratified random sampling. SETTING: Four South Indian states. PARTICIPANTS: Adolescent girls (10-19 years). PHENOMENA OF INTEREST: Food safety knowledge, perceptions, and practices. ANALYSES: FGDs were audio recorded, transcribed, and manually coded by topic. At each stage of coding and analysis, reports were read independently by 3 researchers. Results were presented according to 4 food safety topics: concept of safe food; home-cooked food or outside food; packaged food products and food labels; and previous exposure to food safety education. RESULTS: Subjects confused the concept of nutrition with food safety. They were checking food labels, but they were not aware of quality symbols like ISI (Bureau of Indian Standards), FPO (Fruit Products Order), and AGMARK (Agriculture Marking and Grading Act); trusted more in brand names/expensive packaged food; were less careful about snack food safety. Receiving food safety information through school health education was preferred. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Adolescent girls are not aware of food quality standards. Awareness needs to be raised on permitted food additives concerning which foods can use them. Children should be familiarized with quality symbols on food labels.