Nutrition labels influence product purchases

According to research by the Food Marketing Institute and Prevention magazine, shoppers are increasingly influenced by the Nutrition Facts labels on food packages, and many are changing their purchasing decisions based on the information contained in these labels. Eighty-three percent of shoppers regularly look at the Nutrition Facts chart when buying a product for the first time, and 91 percent will make a purchasing decision based on this information. More than one quarter (26 percent) have decided against a purchase in recent months because of product labelling information. Roughly one-half of all shoppers say they have purchased foods with package claims of being high in calcium (51 percent), vitamin C (51 percent) or are vitamin-rich or vitamin-fortified (47 percent). Shoppers are also purchasing products that claim to reduce the risk of disease.