Examining Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Food Labels Among Consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria – A Baseline Survey

Felicia Nwanne Monye; Nkoli Nwakego Ezumah; Jane Ani; Herbert Umezuruike; Festus Okechukwu Ukwueze; Ebelechukwu Lawretta Okiche

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20

Examining Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Food Labels Among Consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria – A Baseline Survey

Felicia Nwanne Monye, Nkoli Nwakego Ezumah, Jane Ani, Herbert Umezuruike, Festus Okechukwu Ukwueze, Ebelechukwu Lawretta Okiche

Published in International Journal of Law and Society (Volume 3, Issue 4)

Received: 1 December 2020 Accepted: 9 December 2020 Published: 25 December 2020

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Abstract

Food is an essential component of human existence but it must be healthy and nutritionally balanced to perform its functions effectively. Hence emphasis is placed on labelling of pre-packed foods at global and national levels. Nigeria operates a mandatory food labelling system. The sector regulator, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has, over the years, issued successive regulations on labelling of pre-packaged foods, the latest being the Pre-Packaged Food, Water and Ice (Labelling) Regulations 2019 which repealed and replaced the Pre-Packaged Food (Labelling) Regulations 2005 and Bottled Water Labelling Regulations 1996 (NAFDAC Web, 2019). This study examined the knowledge, attitude and practice towards food labels among consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria. Among the issues covered were the laws regulating food labelling in Nigeria; level and sources of knowledge about food labels; attitude of consumers in Enugu State towards food labels; how uneducated consumers cope with accessing food label information; and willingness of consumers to purchase or consume unlabelled food products. The study was a cross-sectional, descriptive survey involving consumers and sellers of pre-packaged foods in two Local Government Areas in Enugu State, namely Enugu East (urban) and Nkanu (rural) using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Data from the survey showed that 30 consumers, representing 14.9% of the consumers in the study were not aware of the laws that require mandatory food labelling in Nigeria. Similarly, many consumers in both the In-depth Interviews (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) displayed lack of awareness of such laws. The study further revealed a correlation between the level of knowledge and attitude towards food labels on one hand and the level of education, geographical location and socio-economic standing of consumers on the other. Intensive enlightenment programmes to educate consumers on the need to read and be guided by food labels are recommended.

Published in	International Journal of Law and Society (Volume 3, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20
Page(s)	221-231
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Consumer Protection, Consumer Knowledge, Consumer Attitude, Consumer Practice, Food Labels, Labelling Regulations

References

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[2]	Consumers International, “WCRD 2015: Health Diets” http://www.consumersinternational.org/our-work/wcrd/wcrd-2015, accessed 29 July 2015.
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[4]	Jordan Lin, C. T., Lee, J. Y. and Yen, S. T. (2004). Do Dietary Intakes Affect Search for Nutrient Information on Food Labels? Social Science and Medicine, 59 (9): 1955-1967, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.02.030.
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[6]	Mhurchu, C. N. and Gorton, D. (2007) “Nutrition Labels and Claims in New Zealand and Australia: A Review of Use and Understanding” Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 31 (2), 105-112, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-6405.2007.00026.x.
[7]	Nørgaard, M. K. and Brunsø, K. (2009). “Families’ Use of Nutritional Information on Food Labels”. Food Quality and Preference, 20, 597-606. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2009.07.005.
[8]	World Heart Federation (2011) Global Dietary Changes Threaten Health, https://www.world-heart-federation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Factsheet_Unhealthy_diet.pdf, accessed 29 July 2015.
[9]	Krista Scott-Dixon, “The Food Label Series: Do Labels Help or Hurt Us?” www.precisionnutrition.com, accessed 27 July 2015.
[10]	Darkwa, S. (2014) “Knowledge of nutrition facts on food labels and their impact on food choices on consumers in Koforidua, Ghana: A case study”, South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 27, 13–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/16070658.2014.11734479.
[11]	Caswell, J. A. and Padberg, D. I. (1992), “Toward a More Comprehensive Theory of Food Labels” American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 74, 460–468. https://doi.org/10.2307/1242500.
[12]	Adeniyi, O. R., Ayandiji, A. and Ojo, A. (2011). Food Security Status of Rural Farming Households in Osun State, cited by Abraham Falola in “Towards Nutrition Security: Food Label Use among Nigerians”, International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics ISSN 2147-8988 Vol. 2 No. 2 pp. 127-134.
[13]	Falola, A. (2012) “Towards Nutrition Security: Food Label Use among Nigerians” International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics, 2, 127–134, 132. https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.168586.
[14]	Borra, Susan (2006) “Consumer Perspectives on Food Labels”, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 83, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/83.5.1235S.
[15]	Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)/WHO, (2001). Codex Alimentarius: Food Labelling Complete Texts, p.iii, http://www.fao.org/uploads/media/Codex_2001_food_labelling.pdf, accessed 27 July 2015.
[16]	European Food Information Council “EUFIC Forum n°2: Consumer Attitudes to Nutrition Information and Food Labelling” https://www.eufic.org/en/collaboration/article/eufic-forum-n-2-consumer-attitudes-to-nutrition-information-food-labelling, accessed 15 July 2019.
[17]	Aygen, F. G. (2012), “Determinants of Nutrition Label Use among Turkish Consumers” International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2 (7), 53-70, http://www.ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol_2_No_7_April_2012/7.pdf, accessed 27 July 2019.
[18]	Grunert, K. G., Fernandez-Celemin, L., Wills, J. M., Bonsmann, S. S. G. and Nureeva, L. (2010) “Use and Understanding of Nutrition Information on Food Labels in Six European Countries” Journal of Public Health, 18 (3), 261–277. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-009-0307-0.
[19]	McLean-Meyinsse, P. E. (2001) “An Analysis of Nutritional Label Use in the Southern United States” Journal of Food Distribution Research, 32 (1), 110-114. https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.26509
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[22]	Oghojafor, B. E. A., Ladipo, P. K. A. and Nwagwu, K. O. (2012) “An Empirical Determination of Consumers’ Reaction to Nutritional Labelling of Pre-packaged Food Products in Lagos, Nigeria” International Journal of Development and Sustainability, (2) 171–185.
[23]	Monye, F. N. and Umoh, B. D. “Achieving Consumer Justice and Protection through Awareness Creation on Consumer Rights and Channels of Redress”, a project conducted with support from Consumtenbond, the Netherlands under the Anne Fransen Fund, 2018.
[24]	Olatona F. A., Nwankwo C. O., Ogunyemi A. O., Nnoaham K. E. (2019). Consumer knowledge and utilization of food labels on pre-packaged food products in Lagos State. Research Journal of Health Sciences, 7, 29-38. https://doi.org/10.4314/rejhs.v7i1.4.
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Felicia Nwanne Monye, Nkoli Nwakego Ezumah, Jane Ani, Herbert Umezuruike, Festus Okechukwu Ukwueze, et al. (2020). Examining Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Food Labels Among Consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria – A Baseline Survey. International Journal of Law and Society, 3(4), 221-231. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20

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Felicia Nwanne Monye; Nkoli Nwakego Ezumah; Jane Ani; Herbert Umezuruike; Festus Okechukwu Ukwueze, et al. Examining Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Food Labels Among Consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria – A Baseline Survey. Int. J. Law Soc. 2020, 3(4), 221-231. doi: 10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20

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AMA Style

Felicia Nwanne Monye, Nkoli Nwakego Ezumah, Jane Ani, Herbert Umezuruike, Festus Okechukwu Ukwueze, et al. Examining Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Food Labels Among Consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria – A Baseline Survey. Int J Law Soc. 2020;3(4):221-231. doi: 10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20

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@article{10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20,
  author = {Felicia Nwanne Monye and Nkoli Nwakego Ezumah and Jane Ani and Herbert Umezuruike and Festus Okechukwu Ukwueze and Ebelechukwu Lawretta Okiche},
  title = {Examining Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Food Labels Among Consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria – A Baseline Survey},
  journal = {International Journal of Law and Society},
  volume = {3},
  number = {4},
  pages = {221-231},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijls.20200304.20},
  abstract = {Food is an essential component of human existence but it must be healthy and nutritionally balanced to perform its functions effectively. Hence emphasis is placed on labelling of pre-packed foods at global and national levels. Nigeria operates a mandatory food labelling system. The sector regulator, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has, over the years, issued successive regulations on labelling of pre-packaged foods, the latest being the Pre-Packaged Food, Water and Ice (Labelling) Regulations 2019 which repealed and replaced the Pre-Packaged Food (Labelling) Regulations 2005 and Bottled Water Labelling Regulations 1996 (NAFDAC Web, 2019). This study examined the knowledge, attitude and practice towards food labels among consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria. Among the issues covered were the laws regulating food labelling in Nigeria; level and sources of knowledge about food labels; attitude of consumers in Enugu State towards food labels; how uneducated consumers cope with accessing food label information; and willingness of consumers to purchase or consume unlabelled food products. The study was a cross-sectional, descriptive survey involving consumers and sellers of pre-packaged foods in two Local Government Areas in Enugu State, namely Enugu East (urban) and Nkanu (rural) using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Data from the survey showed that 30 consumers, representing 14.9% of the consumers in the study were not aware of the laws that require mandatory food labelling in Nigeria. Similarly, many consumers in both the In-depth Interviews (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) displayed lack of awareness of such laws. The study further revealed a correlation between the level of knowledge and attitude towards food labels on one hand and the level of education, geographical location and socio-economic standing of consumers on the other. Intensive enlightenment programmes to educate consumers on the need to read and be guided by food labels are recommended.},
 year = {2020}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Examining Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Food Labels Among Consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria – A Baseline Survey
AU  - Felicia Nwanne Monye
AU  - Nkoli Nwakego Ezumah
AU  - Jane Ani
AU  - Herbert Umezuruike
AU  - Festus Okechukwu Ukwueze
AU  - Ebelechukwu Lawretta Okiche
Y1  - 2020/12/25
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20
T2  - International Journal of Law and Society
JF  - International Journal of Law and Society
JO  - International Journal of Law and Society
SP  - 221
EP  - 231
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2640-1908
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20
AB  - Food is an essential component of human existence but it must be healthy and nutritionally balanced to perform its functions effectively. Hence emphasis is placed on labelling of pre-packed foods at global and national levels. Nigeria operates a mandatory food labelling system. The sector regulator, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has, over the years, issued successive regulations on labelling of pre-packaged foods, the latest being the Pre-Packaged Food, Water and Ice (Labelling) Regulations 2019 which repealed and replaced the Pre-Packaged Food (Labelling) Regulations 2005 and Bottled Water Labelling Regulations 1996 (NAFDAC Web, 2019). This study examined the knowledge, attitude and practice towards food labels among consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria. Among the issues covered were the laws regulating food labelling in Nigeria; level and sources of knowledge about food labels; attitude of consumers in Enugu State towards food labels; how uneducated consumers cope with accessing food label information; and willingness of consumers to purchase or consume unlabelled food products. The study was a cross-sectional, descriptive survey involving consumers and sellers of pre-packaged foods in two Local Government Areas in Enugu State, namely Enugu East (urban) and Nkanu (rural) using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Data from the survey showed that 30 consumers, representing 14.9% of the consumers in the study were not aware of the laws that require mandatory food labelling in Nigeria. Similarly, many consumers in both the In-depth Interviews (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) displayed lack of awareness of such laws. The study further revealed a correlation between the level of knowledge and attitude towards food labels on one hand and the level of education, geographical location and socio-economic standing of consumers on the other. Intensive enlightenment programmes to educate consumers on the need to read and be guided by food labels are recommended.
VL  - 3
IS  - 4
ER  -

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Author Information

Felicia Nwanne Monye

Department of Commercial and Corporate Law, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria
Nkoli Nwakego Ezumah

Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
Jane Ani

Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
Herbert Umezuruike

Department of Commercial and Corporate Law, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria
Festus Okechukwu Ukwueze

Department of Commercial and Corporate Law, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria
Ebelechukwu Lawretta Okiche

Department of Jurisprudence and Legal Theory, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria

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APA Style

Felicia Nwanne Monye, Nkoli Nwakego Ezumah, Jane Ani, Herbert Umezuruike, Festus Okechukwu Ukwueze, et al. (2020). Examining Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Food Labels Among Consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria – A Baseline Survey. International Journal of Law and Society, 3(4), 221-231. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20

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Felicia Nwanne Monye; Nkoli Nwakego Ezumah; Jane Ani; Herbert Umezuruike; Festus Okechukwu Ukwueze, et al. Examining Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Food Labels Among Consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria – A Baseline Survey. Int. J. Law Soc. 2020, 3(4), 221-231. doi: 10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20

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AMA Style

Felicia Nwanne Monye, Nkoli Nwakego Ezumah, Jane Ani, Herbert Umezuruike, Festus Okechukwu Ukwueze, et al. Examining Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Food Labels Among Consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria – A Baseline Survey. Int J Law Soc. 2020;3(4):221-231. doi: 10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20,
  author = {Felicia Nwanne Monye and Nkoli Nwakego Ezumah and Jane Ani and Herbert Umezuruike and Festus Okechukwu Ukwueze and Ebelechukwu Lawretta Okiche},
  title = {Examining Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Food Labels Among Consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria – A Baseline Survey},
  journal = {International Journal of Law and Society},
  volume = {3},
  number = {4},
  pages = {221-231},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijls.20200304.20},
  abstract = {Food is an essential component of human existence but it must be healthy and nutritionally balanced to perform its functions effectively. Hence emphasis is placed on labelling of pre-packed foods at global and national levels. Nigeria operates a mandatory food labelling system. The sector regulator, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has, over the years, issued successive regulations on labelling of pre-packaged foods, the latest being the Pre-Packaged Food, Water and Ice (Labelling) Regulations 2019 which repealed and replaced the Pre-Packaged Food (Labelling) Regulations 2005 and Bottled Water Labelling Regulations 1996 (NAFDAC Web, 2019). This study examined the knowledge, attitude and practice towards food labels among consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria. Among the issues covered were the laws regulating food labelling in Nigeria; level and sources of knowledge about food labels; attitude of consumers in Enugu State towards food labels; how uneducated consumers cope with accessing food label information; and willingness of consumers to purchase or consume unlabelled food products. The study was a cross-sectional, descriptive survey involving consumers and sellers of pre-packaged foods in two Local Government Areas in Enugu State, namely Enugu East (urban) and Nkanu (rural) using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Data from the survey showed that 30 consumers, representing 14.9% of the consumers in the study were not aware of the laws that require mandatory food labelling in Nigeria. Similarly, many consumers in both the In-depth Interviews (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) displayed lack of awareness of such laws. The study further revealed a correlation between the level of knowledge and attitude towards food labels on one hand and the level of education, geographical location and socio-economic standing of consumers on the other. Intensive enlightenment programmes to educate consumers on the need to read and be guided by food labels are recommended.},
 year = {2020}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Examining Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Food Labels Among Consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria – A Baseline Survey
AU  - Felicia Nwanne Monye
AU  - Nkoli Nwakego Ezumah
AU  - Jane Ani
AU  - Herbert Umezuruike
AU  - Festus Okechukwu Ukwueze
AU  - Ebelechukwu Lawretta Okiche
Y1  - 2020/12/25
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20
T2  - International Journal of Law and Society
JF  - International Journal of Law and Society
JO  - International Journal of Law and Society
SP  - 221
EP  - 231
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2640-1908
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20200304.20
AB  - Food is an essential component of human existence but it must be healthy and nutritionally balanced to perform its functions effectively. Hence emphasis is placed on labelling of pre-packed foods at global and national levels. Nigeria operates a mandatory food labelling system. The sector regulator, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has, over the years, issued successive regulations on labelling of pre-packaged foods, the latest being the Pre-Packaged Food, Water and Ice (Labelling) Regulations 2019 which repealed and replaced the Pre-Packaged Food (Labelling) Regulations 2005 and Bottled Water Labelling Regulations 1996 (NAFDAC Web, 2019). This study examined the knowledge, attitude and practice towards food labels among consumers in Enugu State, Nigeria. Among the issues covered were the laws regulating food labelling in Nigeria; level and sources of knowledge about food labels; attitude of consumers in Enugu State towards food labels; how uneducated consumers cope with accessing food label information; and willingness of consumers to purchase or consume unlabelled food products. The study was a cross-sectional, descriptive survey involving consumers and sellers of pre-packaged foods in two Local Government Areas in Enugu State, namely Enugu East (urban) and Nkanu (rural) using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Data from the survey showed that 30 consumers, representing 14.9% of the consumers in the study were not aware of the laws that require mandatory food labelling in Nigeria. Similarly, many consumers in both the In-depth Interviews (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) displayed lack of awareness of such laws. The study further revealed a correlation between the level of knowledge and attitude towards food labels on one hand and the level of education, geographical location and socio-economic standing of consumers on the other. Intensive enlightenment programmes to educate consumers on the need to read and be guided by food labels are recommended.
VL  - 3
IS  - 4
ER  -

Copy | Download