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

Rational. 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.