Adherence
Consumers' actual use of nutrition labels on food packages is low (16.8% across six European countries), despite understanding of label formats being significantly higher, indicating that lack of use is driven by motivation rather than comprehension.
Knowing how to read a nutrition label is not enough to ensure you use it while shopping. If you find yourself ignoring labels, it is likely because your primary motivation for buying is taste, price, or habit, not health. To change this, you must consciously prioritize health/nutrition as a decision criterion, as the study shows that looking for information is significantly lower when health is not the main reason for choice.
Understanding of nutrition information seems to be more widespread than use, suggesting that lack of use is a question of not only understanding, but also motivation.
Why this rating
Large sample size (n>10,000), multi-country observational design, and mixed-methods approach (observation + interview + questionnaire) provide high reliability for behavioral estimates.
Source
Use and understanding of nutrition information on food labels in six European countries
Klaus G. Grunert et al. · Journal of Public Health · 2010
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