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Food labeling and food and nutrition claims: A marketer’s review |
N. M. CHILDS, Dept. of Food Marketing, Saint Joseph's Univ., 5600 City Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19131 Food labeling for the US consumer has received accelerating attention. Among the many issues seeking redress on the food label is the use of health claims and dietary supplement labeling, such as structure function claims, on foods reporting possible health benefits. There has been an ongoing debate regarding the use of the label for consumer education, marketing messages, and product differentiation. Label claims now exist for additional nuances of food origin and authenticity, including organic qualification. Though not intended to be claims regarding health or nutrition, these claims can also connote health attributes to some consumers. A brief review of the history and trends of food label activity, within the larger context of the food label function, is examined from a consumer’s framework. This preliminary review identifies the parameters of label use for the consumer as an education, differentiation, and marketing vehicle. The varieties of regulatory label use for health and nutrition claims are identified and classified for the intent to assess successful and unsuccessful claim presentation on food labels. Marketing practices that enhance claim use are presented. Food labeling is examined for type and incidence of use as well as method. Attention is paid to successful techniques for delivering claim information that motivate product purchase. Claims on the food label exist to enable the consumer to make informed and wiser food choices. Accomplishing this goal in the cluttered and competitive food marketing environment is a challenging goal. Understanding marketing techniques that contribute to this goal may be a contributor to product success in the marketplace.
Session 88, Nutraceuticals & Functional Foods: General
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