Use of Nutrition Labels Declining, Especially Among
Young Adults
Jessica
E. Todd
For more than 10 years, Americans have
had access to standardized nutrition information
on almost all packaged foods. The current format
of the Nutrition Facts panel was introduced in
1994, following the Nutrition Labeling and Education
Act (NLEA) of 1990. In addition, Federal regulators
placed strict requirements on the content and wording
of health claims made on food packages.
In creating standards for the presentation and
content of nutritional information, NLEA made it
easier for consumers to make more healthful food
choices. Prior to NLEA, approximately 70 percent
of adults reported using nutrition labels when
making food purchases. A 1995-96 survey found no
increase in label use, but consumers did report
that the new labels made it easier to make more
healthful food choices.
According to recent ERS analyses, label use is
lower today than in 1995. After controlling for
changes in population demographics, label use when
food shopping dropped from 65 percent in 1995 to
62 percent in 2005. The decline in use of health
claims was larger: 44 percent in 2005 versus 54
percent in 1995. For those who reported using labels,
the proportion that referenced information about
calories declined from 76 percent in 1995 to 68.5
percent in 2005, while use of fiber information
increased slightly.
The decline in label use was greater among adults
20 to 29 years old than among other groups of U.S.
consumers. Use of the Nutrition Facts panel by
this group fell from 62 percent in 1995 to 52 percent
in 2005, three times the decline observed among
all adults. The decrease in use of information
on calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium was also
greater among young adults than among all adults.
Today’s young adults may use nutrition labels
less than their predecessors because they were
not exposed to the informational campaigns that
introduced the new labels. Alternatively, since
young adults eat out more often than others, their
benefits of label use may be lower since restaurants
are not required to provide nutrition information.
Moreover, nutritional information is currently
available from other sources, such as the Internet,
which young adults may be more likely to access
than older consumers. More generally, other information
on food labels, such as country of origin, production
methods, and trade practices, may compete with
nutrition information for consumers’ attention
during their limited shopping time.
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