Bakgrund Svensk media uppmärksammade i början av 2000-talet brott mot livsmedelslagstiftningen inom både Sverige och andra länder i Europeiska unionen. Köttbedrägerier och fusk med ursprungsmärkning hade förekommit. Syfte Studiens syfte var att undersöka konsumenters läsande av och förtroende för obligatorisk livsmedelsinformation, att se om det fanns skillnader beroende på kön eller grad av utbildning, samt om det fanns samband mellan läsfrekvens och förtroende för informationen. Metod En enkät utformades i Google Documents och delades ut i Sverige hösten 2013 via forumet Facebook. Totalt samlades 159 enkäter in och analyserades i SPSS 21.0, med p=<0,05. Resultat Av den studerade livsmedelsinformationen läste deltagarna beteckning och bäst före-datum/sista förbrukningsdag mest frekvent. Förtroendet för obligatorisk livsmedelsinformation var överlag högt men signifikanta skillnader sågs varken beroende på kön eller utbildningsnivå. Kvinnor läste allergimärkning och ursprungsmärkning signifikant oftare än män. Högutbildade läste mängddeklaration signifikant oftare och förvaringsanvisning signifikant mer sällan än lågutbildade. Det fanns en signifikant positiv korrelation mellan hur ofta informanterna läste och hade förtroende för bäst före-datum/sista förbrukningsdag. Slutsats Den obligatoriska livsmedelsinformationen lästes med varierande frekvens men totalt sett oftare av kvinnorna än av männen. Skandalerna som uppmärksammats i media har inte orsakat lågt förtroende för informationen. För att bedöma om skandalerna har påverkat förtroendet i någon riktning bör studier som jämför situationen före med efter de skett göras. Huruvida läsfrekvens och förtroende för informationen har samband bör även det studeras ytterligare. / Background In the early 2000s the Swedish media reported violations of food law regulations in Sweden as well as in other countries in the European Union. Meat fraud had been observed and country of origin labeling manipulated. Objective The purpose of the study was to investigate consumers reading of and confidence in mandatory food information, to find out if there were differences according to gender or level of education. Furthermore the intention was to investigate if there were correlations between frequency of reading and having confidence in the information. Method A questionnaire was designed in Google Documents and handed out via the Facebook community in Sweden in the autumn of 2013. In total 159 questionnaires was collected and analyzed in SPSS 21.0 with p=<0,05. Results The participants read the name under which a product is sold and the date of minimum durability most frequently. Confidence in the mandatory food information was generally high but there were no significant differences according to gender or level of education. Women read allergy labeling and country of origin labeling significantly more often than men. Highly educated people read quantity declaration significantly more often and storage condition significantly less often than people at a lower level of education. There was a significant positive correlation between how often the participants read and had trust in the date of minimum durability.  Conclusion The mandatory food information was read with varying frequency but overall more often by women than men. The scandals reported in the media have not caused low trust in the information. In order to assess whether the scandals have affected the trust in any direction studies should be made comparing the situation before with after they occurred. Whether frequency in reading is correlated with trust in the information should also be further studied.

Thesis (MBus) -- Auckland University of Technology, 2005. / Also held in print (xii, 150 leaves, 30 cm.) in Wellesley Theses Collection. (T 664.00688 WEI)

Tinkamas informacijos apie maistą pateikimas, įskaitant maisto produktų ženklinimą, yra svarbi priemonė skatinti sveikatą stiprinantį gyvenimo būdą ir užtikrinti saugų maisto produktų vartojimą. Lietuvoje atliktų tyrimų duomenys rodo, kad ligų profilaktikos tikslu maisto produktus renkasi tik nedidelė dalis gyventojų, tačiau trūksta duomenų apie tai, kokios yra gyventojų maisto produktų pasirinkimo sąsajos su informacija apie maistą. Šio darbo tikslas – ištirti ir įvertinti informacijos apie maistą sąsajas su Lietuvos suaugusių gyventojų maisto produktų pasirinkimu visuomenės sveikatos požiūriu. Tyrimo rezultatai rodo, kad daugumos Lietuvos suaugusių gyventojų nuomone, maisto produktų ženklinimo informacija nėra visiškai suprantama ir aiškiai įskaitoma. Lietuvos suaugę gyventojai kaip labiausiai maisto produktų pasirinkimui darančią įtaką ženklinimo informaciją nurodė maisto produktų tinkamumo vartoti terminą, kainą ir kilmės šalį. Daugiau kaip pusė jų pageidauja, kad ženklinant maisto produktus būtų pateikiama maistingumo informacija. Labiausiai pageidaujama informacijos apie maisto produkto energinę vertę, riebalus, cholesterolį ir vitaminus. Daugiau moterų negu vyrų, aukštesnį išsilavinimą negu žemesnį išsilavinimą turinčių gyventojų domisi informacija apie maisto produktų maistingumą. Vertinant visuomenės sveikatos požiūriu, nenustatyta reikšmingų sąsajų tarp Lietuvos suaugusių gyventojų nuomonės apie informaciją apie maistą ir jų mitybos įpročių, tačiau sveikiau... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Appropriate provision of information regarding food, including foodstuff labeling, is considered to be an efficient tool to promote healthy lifestyle and ensure a safe use of foods. Research conducted in Lithuania indicate that just a small percentage of Lithuanian residents choose foods to prevent disease, however, there is a lack of data concerning the links between food information and the choice of foods of Lithuanian adults. The aim of the study is to investigate and evaluate the links between food information and choice of foodstuffs from a public health viewpoint. The results of the research show, that most of Lithuanian adult residents consider that food labelling information is not fully comprehensible and legible. Lithuanian adult residents reported that their food choice is mostly influenced by the minimum durability date, price and country of origin. More than half of Lithuanian adult residents wish nutrition labelling information to be presented on food labels. Females more than males, higher educated persons more than lower educated persons are interested in nutrition labelling information. From the public health viewpoint, significant links between Lithuanian adult residents’ dietary habits and their attitudes towards information about food were not found, however, those who had a healthier diet were more likely to wish nutrition labelling, its placement on the most visible side of the food package and information not only about fats, carbohydrates, proteins... [to full text]

Appropriate provision of information regarding food, including foodstuff labeling, is considered to be an efficient tool to promote healthy lifestyle and ensure a safe use of foods. Research conducted in Lithuania indicate that just a small percentage of Lithuanian residents choose foods to prevent disease, however, there is a lack of data concerning the links between food information and the choice of foods of Lithuanian adults. The aim of the study is to investigate and evaluate the links between food information and choice of foodstuffs from a public health viewpoint. The results of the research show, that most of Lithuanian adult residents consider that food labelling information is not fully comprehensible and legible. Lithuanian adult residents reported that their food choice is mostly influenced by the minimum durability date, price and country of origin. More than half of Lithuanian adult residents wish nutrition labelling information to be presented on food labels. Females more than males, higher educated persons more than lower educated persons are interested in nutrition labelling information. From the public health viewpoint, significant links between Lithuanian adult residents’ dietary habits and their attitudes towards information about food were not found, however, those who had a healthier diet were more likely to wish nutrition labelling, its placement on the most visible side of the food package and information not only about fats, carbohydrates, proteins... [to full text] / Tinkamas informacijos apie maistą pateikimas, įskaitant maisto produktų ženklinimą, yra svarbi priemonė skatinti sveikatą stiprinantį gyvenimo būdą ir užtikrinti saugų maisto produktų vartojimą. Lietuvoje atliktų tyrimų duomenys rodo, kad ligų profilaktikos tikslu maisto produktus renkasi tik nedidelė dalis gyventojų, tačiau trūksta duomenų apie tai, kokios yra gyventojų maisto produktų pasirinkimo sąsajos su informacija apie maistą. Šio darbo tikslas – ištirti ir įvertinti informacijos apie maistą sąsajas su Lietuvos suaugusių gyventojų maisto produktų pasirinkimu visuomenės sveikatos požiūriu. Tyrimo rezultatai rodo, kad daugumos Lietuvos suaugusių gyventojų nuomone, maisto produktų ženklinimo informacija nėra visiškai suprantama ir aiškiai įskaitoma. Lietuvos suaugę gyventojai kaip labiausiai maisto produktų pasirinkimui darančią įtaką ženklinimo informaciją nurodė maisto produktų tinkamumo vartoti terminą, kainą ir kilmės šalį. Daugiau kaip pusė jų pageidauja, kad ženklinant maisto produktus būtų pateikiama maistingumo informacija. Labiausiai pageidaujama informacijos apie maisto produkto energinę vertę, riebalus, cholesterolį ir vitaminus. Daugiau moterų negu vyrų, aukštesnį išsilavinimą negu žemesnį išsilavinimą turinčių gyventojų domisi informacija apie maisto produktų maistingumą. Vertinant visuomenės sveikatos požiūriu, nenustatyta reikšmingų sąsajų tarp Lietuvos suaugusių gyventojų nuomonės apie informaciją apie maistą ir jų mitybos įpročių, tačiau sveikiau... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

L’obiettivo del presente lavoro di ricerca è quello di porre in luce la cosiddetta “dimensione relazionale” dell’informazione fornita ai consumatori di alimenti tramite l’etichettatura nutrizionale e salutistica, intesa quale strumento normativo per l’attuazione delle politiche nutrizionali perseguite dall'Unione Europea. Il presente scritto analizza come le funzioni dell’etichettatura alimentare siano mutate durante i decenni, a partire dalla fine degli anni settanta del secolo scorso, quando essa era sì concepita come strumento informativo, ma il cui scopo principale rimaneva tuttavia quello di appianare le varie difformità legislative o regolamentari esistenti tra i vari Stati Membri – potendo queste rappresentare un ostacolo alla creazione di un mercato comune – sino ai giorni nostri, che vedono l’etichetta come una protagonista attiva in seno ad un più ampio programma di politica nutrizionale; più precisamente, attraverso un’adeguata etichettatura alimentare, le istituzioni dell’Unione Europea ambiscono a plasmare le abitudini alimentari dei consumatori, indirizzandoli verso percorsi nutrizionali più salutari. In tale contesto, il Regolamento sulle indicazioni nutrizionali e sulla salute fornite sugli alimenti rappresenta un ambizioso e, al tempo stesso, controverso tassello del diritto alimentare europeo, le cui premesse ispiratrici erano indubbiamente lodevoli, ma che è stato vittima, successivamente, di un’attuazione che ha generato notevole scontento ed incertezza sia tra i consumatori che nell'industria, al punto tale che da più parti si nutrono dubbi in merito alla sua efficacia e validità. Il presente lavoro di ricerca ambisce quindi a fornire una profonda analisi del Regolamento sulle indicazioni nutrizionali e sulla salute, offrendo una panoramica di esso in chiave storica, sociale, ed economica, imprescindibile al fine di una corretta e completa comprensione delle scelte normative e delle loro implicazioni di mercato. In ossequio a tale intento, in ogni apertura di paragrafo è offerto un inquadramento di taglio storico-normativo, mentre, in conclusione, si tenta di fornire qualche spunto critico da cui potrebbe, o avrebbe potuto, derivare una migliore attuazione del Regolamento. Dopo una breve introduzione, la ricerca entra nel suo vivo attraverso l’analisi di ogni aspetto del Regolamento (CE) n. 1924/2006, soffermandosi, in particolar modo, su quello che è l’aspetto cruciale e problematico relativo alla sua attuazione: il ruolo della scienza e, più precisamente, la valutazione circa la fondatezza scientifica dei claims, procedimento che, in assenza di chiare definizioni normative ed operative, è di fatto rimesso alla discrezionalità interpretativa dell’EFSA, avallata (implicitamente o esplicitamente) dalla Commissione Europea e dalla Corte di Giustizia dell’Unione Europea, generando così reazioni critiche tra pratici ed accademici che accusano una illegittima applicazione del principio di precauzione in un ambito che gli è estraneo, vale a dire quello dell’informazione alimentare al consumatore finale. Il lavoro prosegue poi con una riflessione sull'esito finale di un siffatto adagiamento sul processo di validazione scientifica condotto dall’EFSA, che ha ridotto la più parte della conoscenza nutrizionale a poco più di 200 indicazioni sulla salute autorizzate, la cui formulazione letterale, tra l’altro, si dubita assai possa essere agevolmente compresa dal cosiddetto consumatore medio. Inoltre, il Regolamento lascia irrisolti e aperte molti dilemmi e questioni, che devono urgentemente trovare un positivo interessamento al fine di non vanificare gli apprezzabili sforzi di spinta alla ricerca innovativa e di garanzia di una leale ed effettiva concorrenza nell'industria alimentare; il riferimento corre, tra gli altri, ai cosiddetti “claims botanici” ed ai “probiotici”, in relazione ai quali è ad oggi impedito reclamizzare in etichetta un’indicazione salutistica, sull’assunto per cui non è ancora stato raggiunto un livello accettabile di consenso scientifico relativamente alla loro sicurezza d’uso ed efficacia. Di conseguenza, se lo stato dell’arte è connotato da un simile proibizionismo, gli operatori del settore alimentare si trovano nella situazione di dover ricorrere a diverse strategie commerciali, quali l’utilizzo di claims suggestivi che, proposti attraverso messaggi non testuali, come nel caso del food design, si rivelano cionondimeno in grado di veicolare un messaggio salutistico, senza però la soggezione allo stretto rigore scientifico richiesto dall’EFSA. Infine, il presente lavoro, seppur prevalentemente rivolto alla descrizione dello scenario regolativo europeo, non dimentica di fornire una utile prospettiva del tema anche in chiave comparata, spaziando dalle linee guida predisposte dal Codex Alimentarius agli accordi vigenti in ambito OMC applicabili all’etichettatura degli alimenti, alimentando, per l’appunto, perplessità circa la compatibilità del Regolamento (CE) n° 1924/2006 con le obbligazioni gravanti sull’Unione Europea imposte dalla sua appartenenza al WTO. / The topic of the present research is to highlight the relational dimension of the information provided to consumers via food labelling, intended as a legal tool for the implementation of the nutrition policy carried out by the EU institutions since the establishment of the European Economic Community. The present work analyses how the function of food labelling has changed during the decades, since the late Seventies of the past century, when it was merely conceived as a mean of information whose main purpose was the harmonisation of the different national legislations, which could constitute an unnecessary obstacle to the realization of the common internal market, to the most recent days, when food labelling is thought as a tool of active nutrition policy; more precisely, through an adequate labelling, the EU institutions try to shape consumers’ behaviours, driving them toward a healthier eating. In this regulatory scenario, the Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims made on foods is an ambitious and controversial piece of European food law, whose premises were undoubtedly laudable, but which has been during the years (partially) implemented in a manner which has caused much more discontent and confusion among both consumers and manufacturers, so that nowadays many doubts are still arising for what concerns its efficacy and its validity. This research represents a deep analysis of the Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims, also taken into consideration from the historical, sociological, and economic perspective, which must be necessarily intertwined for a complete and critical comprehension of the legal framework and its implications for the various stakeholders. For this reason, each paragraph begins with a sort of normative background, and concludes with a critical analysis of the existing situation, providing some hints for a better implementation of the NHCR. After a brief introduction, the core of the research is completely and deeply focused on each and every aspect of the Regulation, with a central part which takes into consideration the very crucial aspect of its partial and problematic ongoing implementation: the role of science and, more precisely, the requirement of the scientific substantiation of the claims, whose assessment is demanded to the EFSA that, in the absence of definitions and clear guidelines on how to conduct such an evaluation, has de facto given its personal interpretation of the normative provisions of the Regulation, on which also the Commission and the European Court of Justice (implicitly or explicitly) rely, causing discontent among operators and legal scholars who see this as an illegitimate application of the precautionary principle to the field of food information, and a possible departure from the traditional categories of the risk assessment, risk management, and legal interpretation. The analysis proceeds then by criticizing the results of the total reliance on the scientific evaluation carried out by the EFSA, which reduced most of the knowledge about nutrition science in few more than 200 approved health claims, whose wording is probably incomprehensible for the average consumer. Moreover, there are also many other open issues in the Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims which need to be urgently addressed in order not to vanish the laudable purpose of stimulating innovation and competition in the food sector, namely the botanical claims and probiotics, which are now prevented from bearing health claims on the consideration that a complete scientific consensus about their safety and efficacy has not yet been reached. But if this is the largely prohibitive state of the art, manufacturers are of course encouraged to find different escape routes, one of which is recurring to implied health claims, adopted through non-textual messages, or, to rephrase, through a smart food design, which can convey the same representation of healthiness without being subject to the strict scientific boundaries standardised by the EFSA. In addition, and as a conclusion, the present work, although mainly focused on the European Union regulatory environment, tries to give a comparative view on what the international arena offers on the topic, from the Codex Alimentarius Commission to the various WTO Agreements pertaining to food labelling, instilling doubts about the NHCR compatibility with the obligations that the EU must fulfil in the international trade law relations.