Consumer knowledge and utilization of food labels on prepackaged food products in Lagos State
Keywords:
Food labels, food labelling, consumer knowledge, knowledge of food labels, utilization of food labels, prepackaged food productsAbstract
Objectives: Consumption of pre-packaged food products which are a risk factor for non-communicable diseases, is on the increase in many developing countries. This study sought to determine the knowledge and utilization of food labels among consumers of pre-packaged food products in Lagos State.
Method: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study among adults in Lagos, Nigeria. Multi-stage random sampling method was used to select 420 respondents. Only adults who consume pre-packaged foods were included in the study. Data was collected using structured interviewer administered questionnaires and analysis was done using Epi Info 7 statistical software. Level of significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: Only 21 (5.0%) respondents had good level of knowledge of food label information. There was a significant association between level of knowledge of food label information and age in this study, level of knowledge increased with increasing age (p<0.05). Less than one third of the respondents, 123 (29.2%) made good use of food label information. There was a positive significant association between income and use of food labels. (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Levels of knowledge and use of food label information were poor among consumers of prepackaged food products in Lagos State. There is a need for increased nutrition education of the study population to improve their nutritional knowledge and use of food label information.
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