Abstract
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) passed the Nutrition Labeling andEducation Act (NLEA) that resulted in the appearance of the Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP)
on all packaged foods in 1994. With rising rates of obesity in the country, the Panel was
intended to serve as a nutrition tool to help consumers make informed food and nutrition
choices. Previous research has discussed the application and use of the NFP related to
consumers' demographic features, dietary outcomes, such as diet quality, and consumer
behaviors, such as purchasing decisions.
The purpose of this study was to determine the use of NFP components in
relationship to consumer demographics and categories of food. A total of 112 adult
consumers completed a 24-question electronic survey. Data showed frequent use of NFP
components among women, normal weight consumers, those with a chronic health
condition, primary shoppers, and those who reported using the NFP frequently. The most
frequently used components were calories, serving size, and total fat. The least
frequently used components were the footnote,% Daily Value(% DV), and vitamins and
minerals. More consumers used components for the food categories of snacks, grains,
frozen prepared meals, desserts, dairy, nuts, condiments, and canned/jarred foods.
From this study, consumers used varying components and differing numbers of
components for the categories of foods. Using this knowledge, it is important to update
the NFP to promote increased understanding and effective use of the label.
| Date of Award | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Original language | American English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Carla S. Honselman (Supervisor) |