INFLUENCE OF CONSUMERS’ FOOD LABEL KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTION ON UTILIZATION IN ABAKALIKI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, EBONYI STATE, NIGERIA

Asouzu N. C. ¹ and Iheme G. O. ^2
1Department of Dietetics, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, PMB 102,
Ebonyi State, Nigeria
²Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike,
PMB 7267, Umuahia, Abia State Nigeria
Corresponding Author: [email protected]

ABSTRACT
Objectives: This study was designed to determine the influence of consumers’ food label knowledge and perception
on food label utilization in Abakaliki Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
Methodology: A descriptive and cross-sectional study design was employed. A total of 262 respondents were selected
using multi-stage sampling technique. An interviewer administered structured questionnaire was used to elicit their
socio-demographic characteristics, food label knowledge, perception and utilization. Descriptive and inferential
statistics was used to analyse the variable with significance judged at P< 0.05 where applicable.
Results: Results revealed that 50.8% and 35.9% of the respondents had poor and average food label knowledge
respectively. Most (69.1%) of them had fair perception, while 22.5% had poor perception towards food label. Results
showed that 24.8% and 46.6% always and sometimes use food label during product purchase respectively.
Manufacture/expiry date (39.5%), food price (25.3%) and nutrition information (17.6%) were found to be the common
food label components checked by the respondents. Fats (30.5%) and carbohydrates (29.6%) were the key nutrients
considered by the respondents when using food labels. This was evident in their avoidance of high fat (36.5%) and
high sugar (36.1%) foods. Some of the respondents often utilized foods products with low/no sugar (50.2%), low/no
fat (63.5%), cholesterol free (41.6%) and sodium free (48.5%) health claims. A significant relationship exist between
food label knowledge and food label utilization frequency (r =0.03; p = 0.001).
Conclusion: Poor/average food label knowledge and perception score of the respondents was observed. Although,
most of the consumers use food label information, manufacture/expiry date was the most checked component of food
label. A positive correlation between food label knowledge and utilization frequency was