Good afternoon and thank you for inviting me.
To begin with, let me simply say that, in people's minds, healthy food is certainly one of the factors that are increasingly influencing people's dietary choices and that the food label is the source of information that people use to make their choices. Studies have shown that people who read food labels make better nutritional choices. However, does everyone really read food labels? This is the second question I want to raise.
Studies conducted in Canada show that 57% of people state that they regularly consult the food label. Why do people not consult labels enough? It is probably because we tend to purchase things in an automatic way. Also, people have little time when buying groceries, and it is not always easy for everyone to clearly understand all the information on a label. How do people finally make their choices? Following their perceptions, their knowledge and the appearance of the food, they evaluate and classifying different kinds of foods as good or bad. Often, we tend to classify food as healthy or less healthy.
This is what we have seen in the research done by my laboratory as well as in the work of other research teams. For instance, when a food item is perceived as being good for the health, its calorie content will often be underestimated, whereas if an item is perceived as being bad for the health, people will tend to overestimate the calorie content. People often do this because they tend to associate health with weight loss. In other words, when food is good for the health, they think that it also helps them to lose weight.
How does that translate on the consumer's plate? In one study of women, one group was offered oatmeal-raisin cookies as a health snack, and another group was offered the same cookies as a simple snack containing sugar and butter. When the snack was described as healthy, women would eat 35% more than when it was described as a normal cookie.
Presenting food by giving an impression of a health advantage can also influence the consumer's behaviour. Why is this? It is because it can create a false feeling of security and it can also alter the norm. So people can tell themselves that they are justified in eating more of a food that is supposed to be good for the health.
All this indicates that we must carefully plan how we communicate with people, but we must also decide whether we want to choose complexity or simplicity. I believe that we also have those questions to consider. For example, regarding recommendations, we can consider the overall value of an item before making any specific claim. Moreover, the use of logos should be regulated and standardized. That is clear. Finally, we should also foster public education and awareness on nutrition.