What is the Value Given by Consumers to Nutritional Label Information? Results from a Large Investigation in Europe

peer reviewedRational. Nutrition labels on pre-packaged foods have been widely advocated as a medium to foster healthier eating habits in the general population. Objective. The study aimed at understanding how people value nutritional information on food labels, in particular front-of-pack labelling. Methods. A phone-assisted survey on 7550 consumers in 16 European countries was conducted. People were asked about their opinion on nutritional information provided at different levels, from the media to public institutions, and their commitment to healthy behavior. The value of pack labelling was estimated using a willingness-to-pay (WTP) elicitation technique. Results. Older age groups (>45 years old), members of a larger family, low income or low education level people and those who perceived themselves to be obese, valued front-of-pack nutritional labelling positively. WTP estimates across all countries provided an average accepted added price of 3.46€, additionally to the overall yearly food expenditure (95% C.I.: 3.33-3.68). Conclusions. Overall, perceived value of labelling is small. However, factors affecting the value for consumer of nutritional labelling appear to be strictly linked to the socio-economic and health status of the respondents