Americans want easy food labels

Americans want an easier way to assess the nutritional value of their food, according to a new survey from Guiding Stars Licensing Co. The survey, conducted by Kelton Research and drawing on the responses of 1,000 individuals, found that 74 per cent of consumers hold negative views of the Nutrition Facts Panel on food products.

Twenty eight per cent of respondents said food labels are ''exhausting to read,'' and 24 per cent found them ''difficult to understand.'' Eleven per cent said they were ''not helpful'' and ''something to ignore.''

''Our research shows that there's a need in the marketplace for a simpler solution to help identify healthier food choices,'' John Eldredge, director of brand and business development at Guiding Stars Licensing, said in a statement.

A fourth of those surveyed (25 per cent) agreed that they would appreciate some sort of good-better-best rating system on their food products, to make it easier to quickly establish the nutritional value.

The Nielsen Co., also found that many Americans were avoiding reading food labels. Less than a third (30.5 percent) of households usually read labels on food and beverage packages, per the findings. (Nielsen is the parent of Brandweek.)

Despite this low overall rating, Nielsen did find that this number is higher for those grocery stores whose focus is healthier food, such as Whole Foods (52.4 per cent read the labels) and Trader Joe's (42.9 per cent), indicating that those concerned about their health find food labels more valuable.