Food in Scotland Consumer Tracker Wave 21 - Report

Allergens and labelling

Two fifths (40%) of respondents have/shop for someone who has some form of eating constraint. Over a quarter (28%) of consumers shop/cook for someone with allergy, intolerance or need to avoid certain foods which makes labelling very important. Results are consistent with W20.

Which, if any, of the following applies to you or someone you cook/shop for? Base (all): 1,019
TypeW21
Flexitarian 10%
Vegetarian7%
Pescetarian 4%
Vegan2%
Intolerant to certain foods or ingredients8%
Avoid certain food for medical reasons other than a food allergy 8%
Allergic to certain foods or ingredients8%
Avoid certain food for religious or cultural reasons5%
Avoid certain foods for other reasons 10%
Other1%
None60%

Food labelling

When reading food labels, information on use-by/best before dates followed by ingredients and cooking instructions remain the most important elements for consumers. Storage and calories information was sought for by around a third. Results are all similar to W20 with no significant differences.

What information are you looking for when you read food labels? New questions for W19. Base (all): W20: 1,010, W21: 1,019
InformationW21W20
Use-by dates / best before dates64%68%
Ingredients47%51%
Cooking instructions45%49%
Storage information36%39%
Number of calories35%33%
Country of origin27%29%
Colour coded (traffic light) nutrition information on the front of the pack27%28%
Organic / sustainable / Fairtrade16%18%
Allergy information18%18%
Suitable for vegetarian / vegan diets12%12%
I never look at labelling on food products12%10%
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