Assessing Consumers' Perceptions of Health Claims

[Transcript of Ms. Kapsak's remarks]

Begin Presentation in HTML format or as a PowerPoint presentation

Author: Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, M.S., R.D., International Food Information Council (IFIC)

**Table of Contents**
Assessing Consumers' Perceptions of Health Claims Today's Presentation International Food Information Council (IFIC) and IFIC Foundation IFIC Foundation Web Site. In English and Spanish IFIC Foundation's Food Insight Qualified Health Claims (QHC) Consumer Research Objectives QHC Consumer Research Objectives Methodology and Study Design Cogent Research (Cambridge, MA) Products Tested Proposed FDA 4-levels of Health Claims: FDA-IFIC Tested Formats (examples at "B" level stated below) Proposed FDA 4-levels of Health Claims: FDA-IFIC Tested Formats (examples at "B" level stated below) Proposed FDA 4-levels of Health Claims: FDA-IFIC Tested Formats (examples at "B" level stated below) Proposed FDA 4-levels of Health Claims: FDA-IFIC Tested Formats (examples at "B" level stated below) Proposed FDA 4-levels of Health Claims: IFIC-only Tested Formats (not tested by FDA) Consumer Research Highlights Consumer perceptions are impacted by: Consumers have difficulty distinguishing among 4 levels of scientific evidence, especially with language-only claims (i.e. embedded and point-counterpoint) Card Sort Exercise to Distinguish Strength of Scientific Evidence Among Claims (embedded and point-counterpoint) A majority of consumers incorrectly place claims as to level of scientific evidence 78% of consumers cannot correctly sort four levels of claims as to the scientific evidence Only one-fourth of consumers felt it was easy to distinguish among 4 levels of claims	Consumers can distinguish among 4 levels of science using report card graphic Consumers can distinguish among 4 levels of science using Report Card Graphic, but with other negative consequences Consumers can distinguish only 2 levels within the Report Card Text format and... ...the Point-Counterpoint format Consumers cannot distinguish among multiple levels using the Embedded format Consumers can distinguish among 4 levels of science using report card graphic; "C" Report Card Text and D Report Card Graphic convey less healthfulness than Structure-Function and several B claims "D" Report Card Graphic and Text convey less quality than Structure-Function and Alternative B2 claims "C" Report Card Text conveys less safety than Unqualified, Structure-Function, Graphic and Text A, and several B claims Consumers are less likely to purchase a product with a D Report Card Text claim than those who saw a Stucture-Function or Unqualified claim, and a variety of B and C claims Consumers rate the scientific evidence and other attributes of a product containing an unqualified claim similar to those products containing a structure-function claim or dietary guidance statement Unqualified claims (1) rated similar to structure-function claims (2) as to level of scientific evidence Products Tested Dietary Guidance Statements Tested Dietary Guidance Statements Tested Dietary Guidance Statements Tested Dietary Guidance statements rank as high as both unqualified and structure-function claims for scientific evidence In Summary... Research Highlights In Summary... Consumer Insights In Summary... Consumer Insights Thank you

Public Meeting: Assessing Consumers' Perceptions of Health Claims November 17, 2005

Food Labeling and Nutrition

FDA/Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition
Hypertext updated by dav January 19, 2006