A survey of 1,110 consumers from across the U.S. by Deloitte found that respondents see plenty of room for improvement when it comes to product labeling.
Consumers are looking to make informed decisions when they go shopping and in many cases they rely on labels for the information they need. More than 40 percent of consumers in the survey say they do not believe current labels provide them with the information they need to be completely comfortable in their decision to buy.
"Today, consumers have more access to food information than ever before," said Pat Conroy, vice chairman and US Consumer Products group leader at Deloitte. "Still, it's clear that what they are getting is not enough. Consumers are spending more time checking labels and are often overwhelmed by a flood of contradictory nutrition 'facts'. They seek clear, straightforward information they can understand so they can make more informed choices and better protect themselves and their families."
Getting the right information is important enough to consumers that nearly three in four said they would be willing to pay a little extra, for example, to have products contain country of origin information.
Discussion Questions: Can labeling information on a product give it a competitive edge on the shelf? What information needs to be communicated on food and other product labels that is either not done or not done well?