There has been a string of reports in the press surrounding consumer allergy issues recently. In some cases this has caused illnesses, allergic reactions and in some more extreme cases, hospitalisations. For those eating out with dietary and allergy requirements, the hospitality sector has a duty of care and a responsibility to provide consumers with the correct information so that they can eat products with confidence. However, both supermarkets and retailers also have this responsibility. As original Ubamarket research has illustrated, 26 million respondents agreed that the complicated nature of food labels makes this difficult for them to decode and make informed decisions about their food choices.
One of the key problems for consumers with allergies is the food labelling in supermarkets and how unclear this is. Ubamarket’s nationally representative research to find out the nation’s attitudes towards food labels and, in response, has its feature within the app that helps customers see what’s really in their food.
Our research has shown that:
- 52% of respondents (26 million) agreed that the complicated nature of UK food labels make it difficult for people with dietary requirements to make informed decisions about their food
- 44% of respondents (23 million) said that food labels are difficult and at times impossible to read
- 44% of respondents (23 million) wish there was a solution that made figuring out food ingredients easier
- 39% of the nation (18 million) don’t feel that they know enough about the ingredients in the food they eat
- 30% (13 million) say food labels make it harder to maintain a healthy diet
- 28% of the nation (12 million ) say that the complicated food labels are the primary reason they find dieting difficult
Being able to access information about the foods that we’re eating is vital for our health and wellbeing and food labels just aren’t serving their purpose. Retailers do have a responsibility to provide consumers with the correct information, giving them confidence that what they’re eating is suitable for them. For those of us with allergies, dietary requirements, health concerns or simply those that don’t enjoy certain ingredients, food labels are essential. However, Ubamarket’s research has found that almost 23m shoppers find the labels impossible to read. Retail tech developments can make it easier to identify the foods that are right for you, displaying in more detail the salt, sugar and nutritional profiles of your favourite foods and highlighting healthier alternatives.
Contact us to find out about our in-app allergy alerts
