The 67.1 percent of Spaniards admit not reading food labels regularly, with the main reasons being the perceived irrelevance of the information they provide (34.8%) and the small font size (33.3%), among others.
This information comes from the I Study on the Use and Interpretation of Food Labeling, conducted by the Spanish Nutrition Foundation (FEN), at the suggestion of the Gallo Group, based on a sample of 4,640 Spaniards.
Specifically, only 32.9 percent of consumers claim to always or almost always consult the labeling, while 45.6 percent do it occasionally, 11.8 percent only with certain products, and 9.7 percent admit to never reading them.
In addition to the belief that labels do not provide useful information and the problem of their small size, especially among older people, 23.6 percent of those who do not read labels mention lack of time due to the fast pace of everyday life, 13.3 percent mention the distrust they generate, and 12.8 percent cite difficulty in understanding the information.
«The nutritional labeling is a tool of information to the consumer and society that has to help make good food choices. (…) We have to modify the labeling and look for a better one because many say they do not consult it because it is irrelevant, they do not see it, or they do not understand it. It is of little use to give a tool if they do not know how to use it, therefore, nutritional education is still very important,» said the president of FEN, Rosaura Leis, in a press conference.
The group of people who claim to always read labels is largely composed of women (36.8%) and individuals with high purchasing power (36.9%). Likewise, those who dedicate time to reading labels are people who live with a partner but without children (34.8%) and those who live alone (33%). Families living with a partner and children spend an average of five to 15 seconds (63.3%) reading labels.
On the other hand, the group of people who admit to never reading labels includes young people aged 18 to 25 (22.3%), people over 70 years old (13.6%), those with low purchasing power (12.4%), those with only primary education (13.8%), and students (26.2%).
Although a large part of Spaniards admit not reading food labels at the supermarket, three out of four acknowledge that label information greatly influences them (21.1%) or quite a bit (53.6%) when making a purchase. Additionally, 16.5 percent express concern about the lack of useful information on labels.
In this regard, only 26.5 percent of Spaniards consider the information contained in a food label sufficient to choose the best option, while 63.6 percent believe it depends on the type of product. Ten percent affirm that the information is not sufficient for almost any product.
Seven out of ten consumers show interest in knowing the product composition to maintain a balanced diet, while 57.5 percent are interested in quality and food safety (20.3%). Other valued factors include fresh ingredients (20.3%), rejection of foods with artificial flavors (17.5%), and the need to address health restrictions, such as allergies or specific diets (13.3%).
Additionally, the attention given to labels varies according to the type of product, with new or unfamiliar products being the most interesting to consumers (74.8%), followed by packaged foods (63.7%) and processed or ultra-processed foods (57.6%). On the other hand, perceived healthy foods (29.3%) receive the least attention (29.3%), probably due to the trust in their perceived quality.
LESS THAN 7% CLAIM TO CLEARLY UNDERSTAND LABELS
Only 21.4 percent of respondents consider the information provided by labels to be clear in general, while 45.3 percent find it mostly understandable, although they acknowledge that some terms are complex, 29.6 percent perceive confusion in some labels, and 3.8 percent indicate that they find them very difficult to understand.
In summary, 78.7 percent of Spaniards consider that label information is not clear. In contrast, only 6.6 percent claim to understand them clearly.
Consumers also do not give the same importance to all the information that appears on labels. In order of importance in the purchase decision, the expiration or best before date is considered very important by 57 percent of respondents, followed by the amount of saturated fats (40.2%), carbohydrates and sugars (34.9%), the absence of unnecessary additives (30.6%), list and percentage of ingredients (28%), and the country of origin of the product (27.7%).
Moreover, more than half of Spaniards are unaware that ingredients are listed on the label from most to least quantity. 46.7 percent are unaware and 18.4 percent have never considered it, while only 34.9 percent claim to know it.
Consumers also admit to distrusting terms like «low in,» «rich in,» or «free from.» 45.1 percent find them clear but do not always trust them, while 43.5 percent find them confusing or ambiguous in some cases. Only 7.9 percent trust them completely.
In this regard, Rosaura Leis explained that the mentioned terms are «claims,» but they «cannot give us all the information» about the food or, in certain cases, «we do not know how to interpret it.» Thus, she pointed out that a product may indicate, for example, «low in salt,» but have a «high amount of saturated fats,» so it is necessary to pay attention to the complete labeling.
On the other hand, the CEO of the Gallo Group, Fernando Fernández, urged all companies to be «transparent» with consumers so that they are well informed and know what they buy and eat. Thus, he called for avoiding labels in small or unclear letters.
HIGH CONCERN FOR EATING HABITS
Despite the low reading data of labels, concern for eating habits is very high in Spain. 33 percent of consumers admit to being very concerned, while 58.8 percent are quite concerned. Only 8.2 percent express little or no concern.
This concern increases with age and is also higher among higher-income groups and those who read labels frequently. Comparing by age, 79.7 percent of young people aged 18 to 25 are quite or very concerned about their diet, while in the group aged 56 to 70, the percentage rises to 95.8 percent.
When it comes to shopping, the most valued factors by Spanish families with children are price (65.6%) and nutritional aspects (60.8%), taste (46.4%), recommendations from health professionals (20.7%), brand (18.1%), convenience (15.0%), sustainability (10.7%), and recommendations from other users (5.8%).
Celebrity chef and Gallo ambassador, Pepe Rodríguez, highlighted that society and eating habits have changed, as «no one cooks at home» anymore. Therefore, he encouraged reversing this situation and starting to educate from schools so that children learn good habits.
FUENTE
