Food labels are imperative in consumers‟ decision-making process of packaged food products as they communicate important information such as expiry dates, nutrition information and information about allergies to the consumer. Especially during a first-time purchase, consumers rely on food labels to assist them in making their product choice easier. In the heterogeneous context of South Africa, consumers‟ product needs vary and one may assume that consumer needs in terms of food label information differ. Although food labelling is regulated in South Africa, it is still important that consumers are satisfied with labels due to their significant communicative function. However, to the knowledge of the author, little previous research exists on South African consumers‟ satisfaction with food labels. Therefore, this study aimed to explore and describe consumers‟ satisfaction with food labels based on a typical in-store encounter. The confirmation/disconfirmation paradigm had been used as theoretical foundation in this study and consumers‟ expectations and performance judgement of food labels were therefore explored and compared within the confirmation/disconfirmation paradigm. This study furthermore aimed to explore the influence of food labels on consumers‟ product choice as well as to determine the influence of demographic characteristics on consumers‟ expectations and performance judgement of food labels. Lastly, this study aimed to make recommendations to food regulators and manufacturers on how existing food labels could be improved in order to enhance consumer satisfaction. Based on the literature, satisfaction with food labels might be influenced by the information on food labels such as ingredient lists, expiry dates and nutrition information as well as attributes of food labels such as the readability, understandability, credibility and adequacy. Exploratory factor analysis used in the present study indicated that the information on food labels can be classified as either primary (ingredient list, expiry date, health and nutrition information, information about allergies and quality guarantee) or secondary (name of manufacturer, well-known logos or symbols, country of origin or geographical region, usage instructions and number of servings). A quantitative research method by means of a survey approach was used in this study over a period of three weeks. A total of 400 self-administered questionnaires were distributed at office buildings and business premises in the urban Gauteng Province in September 2010 by means of a non-probability sampling method. A total of 279 useful questionnaires were retrieved and data analysis was performed by Statistical Consultations Services of the North-West University using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). Results show that respondents were only partially satisfied with food labels as they were satisfied with secondary information, but dissatisfied with primary information as well as with label attributes. The results furthermore show that primary information tended to be more likely to influence respondents‟ product choice than secondary information. In addition, results show that demographics had little influence on respondents‟ expectations and performance judgement of food labels. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations can be made to regulators and manufacturers on how consumer satisfaction with existing food labels can be improved. Recommendations include the improvement of the overall readability, understandability, credibility as well as adequacy of food labels. Especially primary information and the way it gets portrayed should be considered for improvement to increase consumer satisfaction. / Thesis (M. Consumer Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

Value-added (VA) technologies can help farmers in the specialty crop industry generate new products, increase off-season income sources, expand market access, and improve overall profitability. These technologies can support the development of rural economies through the generation of new businesses and job creation. The USDA defines VA products as those 1) changed physical, 2) produced in a manner that enhances their value, and 3) physically segregated in a manner that results in enhancement of their value. Drawing from this definition, this study investigated VA technologies such as drying, cutting into customer-ready portions, washing and labeling specialty crops. The objectives of this study are threefold. First, we analyze how market access and diversification drive specialty crop farmers to adopt VA technologies. Second, we address the potential endogeneity between the adoption of VA technologies (vertical diversification) and the number of crops (horizontal diversification). Lastly, we investigate how market access drives farmers to utilize food labels for VA products. Data for this study came from a 2019 web-based survey of specialty crop farmers. A total of 766 farmers completed the survey, with a response rate of 21.5%. The questionnaire included questions related to farmer’s demographics (i.e., educational attainment, gender, farming experience), farm characteristics (i.e., crops, markets, and growing technologies), and farmers’ beliefs regarding their farm system. Results suggest that market access is a significant driver of VA technology adoption. Also, the size of the farm, networks, farmer’s perceptions, and employment growth influence adopting VA technologies. The results also show us that farmers adopting VA technologies tend to experience economic growth.

The present thesis aims to explore and argue for an idea called Bilateral transition. Bilateral transition is based on the concepts of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainable consumption and relates to how organisations behind product labels develop their profiling of product labels in a Swedish context. The study is centred around three parts, each approaching the topic from a different angle: a historical angle, a contemporary angle and a future oriented angle. The first theme provides a historical context of different product labels found on the Swedish market. The second theme centres around a critical discourse analysis of market reports from the Swedish food label KRAV, with some quantitative elements incorporated, resulting in an analysis that addresses the change in profiling of Swedish product labels connected to sustainability and environment. The final theme is a qualitative analysis of quantitative data on consumer opinions concerning product labels in Sweden, based on an internship at Djurens Rätt. The latter study aims at investigating the perceived confusion surrounding product labelling and how transparency and a holistic profiling concerning sustainability might affect consumers. The final sub theme also addresses how emerging product labels can redirect their profiling towards producers and consumers. The final chapter contains a concluding discussion, where the results from the different parts have been compiled. The main result established in the thesis is that product labels (with focus on foods in Sweden) have undergone a transition in profiling, from focusing on one specific issue (e.g. organic farming), towards inclusion of a wider range of issues i.e. a holistic type of profiling towards sustainability. This might attract a broader target group of potential customers, in response to a broader societal focus on sustainability. The aim of the thesis has not been to draw any definite conclusions, but has rather been to make the present product label market in Sweden more comprehensive, by connecting the past, present and developing aspects of the topic of product labels in Sweden. The conclusion of the thesis has therefore resulted in establishing the idea of a bilateral transition in sustainability profiling on product labels in Sweden.

This work describes the development of legislative provisions relating to the issue of animal products as food, issued in the CR and the EU. This work also reports their implementation in food businesses, particularly in terms of data provided on product labels. During this work product labels were collected in selected chain stores, documented by photography and the obtained results were compared with the applicable requirements of the CR. The observed data of this study are also compared with the requirements of Act No. 110/1997 Coll. Food, and Decree No. 113/2005 Coll. Individual products of the investigated area (meat and dairy products) are also compared with each other (Point method and Simplified Point Method) and in terms of significance, consumer attention and other appurtenances associated with data on product labels were surveyed. The results revealed a strong dominance of Czech manufacturers on our market in categories of both milk and meat products. In terms of characteristics that producers are obliged to provide, no significant errors were found. If the products lacked any indication, it was usually an indication of dietary (nutritional) value for both meat and dairy products. Manufacturers of the products studied provided a large number of optional information (logos, etc.). We conclude they should rather focus on some of consumer-preferred emblems, for there is high number of them and they seem difficult to follow by the customers. Most consumers prefer the Klasa and the ?Český výrobek? (Czech product) logos.