Food Label and its influence on Consumer Buying Behavior: A Review of Research Studies

The present paper reviews the literature on food labeling and its influence on consumer buying behavior to inform current investigations and identify areas of future research. A structured search was undertaken of research studies on consumer use, understanding of, preference for, perception of information on label and purchasing behaviours relating to food labels. Reviewed studies also examined consumer preferences, understanding and use of different labels, as well as food label impact on purchasing behaviours. The ndings indicate that understanding of health messages was relatively low, whereas consumer attitudes toward health messages on food labels were positive. However, additional research on different labelling designs and its cause to inuence consumer behavior is needed. The most significant factors influencing buying decisions were design of the label, nutritional information, health claims, accessibility and quality. The paper contributed to better understanding of consumer purchase intentions and the usefulness of food product labels.