Poor labeling on food packaging leads to “accidental purchases,” while eating out is “big problem,” survey finds

01 Feb 2019 --- A US study shows that 33 percent of Americans have accidentally bought food that does not align with their dietary requirements and do so on a weekly basis – and they blame poor labeling. Just over three-quarters (76 percent) have unintentionally consumed food restricted from their diet with the main reason being that they were served the wrong food by waiting service while eating out. And 37 percent of respondents listed poor food labeling as the second most common reason for purchasing incorrect products.

These statistics come from new research by Spoon Guru – which has created a smart food search and discovery app to help people find appropriate products and recipes for their food preferences. The study was commissioned to look into the struggles of consumers with food allergies, intolerances or lifestyle diets.

Spoon Guru says that vegans are the worst affected, with 45 percent saying they suffer the most from vague or non-existent ingredient labeling when trying to find the right food. Analyzing how female consumers fare against males, the data revealed that a third of men (34 percent) made errors when there were no product labels, whereas only a quarter of females (25 percent) made the same mistake, notes the study. 

Just under 30 percent of survey participants claimed to find grocery shopping “daunting”. People aged between 25 and 44, who have some form of exclusion diet, struggle the most when shopping for foods online or at supermarkets, the data shows.  Not surprisingly, vegans and vegetarians have the greatest challenge when it comes to food discovery, with 41 percent finding it difficult to match products to their preferences.

According to the survey, people struggle to find suitable foods across the board. However, eating out, dining with friends or family and shopping are the biggest problem areas. Only 7 percent of people reported having no problems. 

Unclear labeling and human error 
A lack of clear labeling and human error are the main reasons why people accidentally eat foods that don’t comply with their diets.

Sixty-one percent of people taking part in the survey said their dietary restriction costs them more money and it was people following a ketogenic diet that spend the most to ensure compliance with their diet. Just over three-quarters also believe that technology will play a key role in improving food ingredient transparency while only 5 percent disagreed. And, according to 86 percent of people surveyed, retailers have a responsibility to be transparent about food ingredients, regardless of current legislation. Eighty-two percent support new regulations concerning better food labeling. 

Labeling under the spotlight 
The survey comes at a time when labeling is under the spotlight in both the US and UK.  The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating the prevalence and severity of sesame allergies as part of considerations to impose regulations on packaged food labels. The FDA said that it would begin collecting information after the country is starting to see evidence that sesame allergies may be a growing concern in the US as some studies suggest that the prevalence of sesame allergies is more than 0.1 percent, on par with allergies to soy and fish.

As sesame is not recognized as a major allergen, right now it’s not required to be declared as an allergen on food labels and it may not always be listed explicitly in the ingredient statement. 

US policymakers have come up with new rules that exempt certain products that typically come from genetically modified crops from actually having GM status. This includes highly refined sugars, oils and starches. As the beginning of 2019 marked the start of a one-year transition period for the new rules to come into effect, the US government is being criticized for creating a loophole in standards in terms of how food products are labeled – and it means that GMOs in many foods will go undisclosed. This has lead to concerns of “anti-transparency” towards consumers who might be confused about what exactly is in their food.

In the UK, the government has launched a consultation to strengthen allergen labeling laws. British Environment Secretary Michael Gove unveiled proposals to overhaul allergen labeling laws and give consumers more transparent information on the food they buy. Subject to the consultation launched earlier in January, food outlets selling pre-packaged food directly for sale could be required to follow new rules designed to give the UK’s two million food allergy sufferers greater confidence in the safety of their food.

The moves follow the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, the teenager who died after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette which she ate on board a flight. In October 2018, our sister website, FoodIngredientsFirst, reported that the UK's Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST) was calling for a review of allergen labeling legislation following Ednan-Laperouse death. 

Taking accountability 
Spoon Guru concludes that its survey shows that retailers and food businesses, in general, can make the experience associated with food shopping and eating out more efficient and reliable. 

With an increase of US consumers adopting exclusion diets, whether due to an allergy or intolerance or simply just a lifestyle choice, there is a clear need to make food discovery much more inclusive.

The study found there is overwhelming support (86 percent) for the idea that retailers should go above and beyond the current regulations to improve ingredient clarity, and the general feeling among US consumers is for on-trade and off-trade retailers to take more accountability where food labeling is concerned.