Influência da rotulagem nutricional frontal, tendência clean label e selo Arte na percepção de saudabilidade e intenção de compra

Abstract

The search for healthy food has been encouraged through political strategies, with the implementation of frontal nutritional labeling and by the population, which seeks a more natural diet (clean label trend). However, different market trends, the complexity of consumer behavior and the different deadlines for the implementation of frontal nutrition labeling for artisanal and industrialized products can lead consumers to misguided choices of certain products as being healthier. Therefore, the food industry has to reformulate or develop products in order to make them healthier and meet the needs of consumers. However, there are doubts about the priorities in the product development process and about the efficiency of frontal nutritional labeling in the choice of healthier foods, in view of the different products available on the market, such as clean label, artisanal and industrialized products. Therefore, in the present thesis, two market studies were conducted, generating 2 articles. In Article 1, the impact of the clean label trend and frontal nutritional labeling on healthiness perception and purchase intention of products by consumers was evaluated. The factors evaluated were type of additives (natural, synthetic/modified or absent), ingredient list size (short or extensive) and frontal nutritional labeling (FNL) of high on added sugar (present or absent). Techniques such as Check-All-That-Apply (CATA), joint factor analysis and quantitative questionnaire were used. In Article 2, the influence of FNL on healthiness perception and purchase intention of artisanal products was evaluated. The factors evaluated were FNL of high on saturated fat and sodium (present or absent) and ARTE seal of artisanal product (present or absent). Techniques such as word association and quantitative questionnaire were used and the consumer evaluation was performed regarding the level of health concern. As results of Article 1, the additive type factor exerted greater influence on healthiness perception and purchase intention of products, than the ingredient list size and the FNL. Products without additives, with short lists of ingredients and without FNL were preferred by consumers. The results of Article 2 showed that artisanal products without FNL were considered healthier by consumers with high and medium health awareness. However, the presence of FNL on labels reduced healthiness perception and purchase intention of artisanal and industrialized products, regardless of the level of health awareness presented by consumers. Therefore, the presence of FNL related to high levels of added sugar or saturated fat and sodium demotivated the consumption of clean label and artisanal products, respectively. These results serve to encourage food manufacturers to reformulate products to meet clean label and health trends and for government agencies to review the particularities of labeling legislation in order to ensure the choice of healthier foods by the population.