Revealed: what shoppers want from food labelling

06-Aug-2015 - Last updated on 07-Aug-2015 at 06:52 GMT

Consumers are more label-conscious

Consumers around the world are more label-conscious than ever before, according to new research from global colouring foods firm GNT.

Over half (53%) of shoppers in European supermarkets look at food labels in more detail now than five years ago, which rises to 64% in the US, 75% in South America and 84% in Asia, the data showed.

The research, which analysed the shopping habits of more than 5,000 people in 10 countries, also showed that 68% of consumers worldwide were drawn to products with natural ingredients in them.

Demand for clearer labelling

Nearly 70% of those asked said they wanted clearer labelling and 55% of consumers asked looked for shorter labels, the research claimed.

Natural ingredients were becoming more important for consumers around the world, said GNT md Dr Hendrik Hoeck. “Many manufacturers already comply with consumers’ wishes this … development will continue to gather momentum in the coming years,” he added.

Healthier consumers

Demand for increasingly healthy diets was also driving consumers to pay more attention to food labels, he claimed. Almost 70% of consumers asked said they would choose a healthier option in a supermarket, especially if it was clearly labelled as such.

Consumers didn’t choose products inconsiderately, but looked for better options, Hendrik added.