The Effect of Health Knowledge, Nutrition Label Use and Attitude towards Nutrition Label on Healthy Food Choice among Malaysian Consumer

Abstract

This study determines the effect of health knowledge on nutrition label use and attitude, and consequently on healthy food choice among Malaysian consumer. This study adopted the positivist, deductive and quantitative approach. A sample consisted of 420 Malaysian consumers, aged at least 15 years old, which selected using systematic streetintercept sampling method. Data, which collected using a self-administered questionnaire, were analysed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings reveal the significant positive effect of health knowledge on attitude towards nutrition label and attitude towards nutrition label on healthy food choice. Though the findings add to the existing literature, provide useful information on how nutrition label could assist in guiding the consumer to make a healthier food choice and serve as a reference point that could stimulate and guide future researchers and other relevant parties, this study is still limited by several factors that require replication in future research.

The Importance of Food Date Label Among Malaysian Grocery Shoppers

“…In addition, the findings of this study reject earlier assumption that Malaysian consumers are willing to compromise safety and quality for cheaper food or bargain price. This finding is also contrary to the previous study that found Malaysian consumers would rather forego health aspects to buy cheaper products (Zainol et al, 2019). The Malaysian grocery shoppers' positive attitude and treatment towards food date label is an indication of their high level of knowledge and awareness on food date labelling.…”

“…The Malaysian grocery shoppers' positive attitude and treatment towards food date label is an indication of their high level of knowledge and awareness on food date labelling. This assumption finds support from a local study on nutrition label made by Zainol et al (2019) that finds significant positive effect of health knowledge on attitude towards nutrition label and attitude towards nutrition label on healthy food choice. This assumption is also consistent with the findings made by Jefriydin et al (2019) who identify personal factors such as knowledge, misperception, awareness, and trust significantly impact how the respondents check and read food packaging labels.…”

“…Extant literature reports widespread confusion and misinterpretation on the meaning and function of food date label among consumers all over the world (Kavanaugh, 2020;Colart & Interis, 2018). Despite the low level of public knowledge and understanding on food date labeling, local study on food labelling are more focused on investigating the importance of nutrition label on food packaging to the consumers (see, Sariman, 2020;Ambak et al, 2018;Jefrydin et al, 2019;Ponnudurai et al, 2019;Rahamat, 2019;Zainol et al, 2019;Teng et al, 2017). Previous studies consistently conclude that the significant role of nutrition label is to provide information on the nutrition content of food products and assist the consumers to make informed decision while purchasing a product (Zainol et al, 2019).…”

“…Despite the low level of public knowledge and understanding on food date labeling, local study on food labelling are more focused on investigating the importance of nutrition label on food packaging to the consumers (see, Sariman, 2020;Ambak et al, 2018;Jefrydin et al, 2019;Ponnudurai et al, 2019;Rahamat, 2019;Zainol et al, 2019;Teng et al, 2017). Previous studies consistently conclude that the significant role of nutrition label is to provide information on the nutrition content of food products and assist the consumers to make informed decision while purchasing a product (Zainol et al, 2019). Whilst the importance of nutrition label has been firmly established, there is yet local or international study that reports on the importance of food date label among Malaysian consumers or grocery shoppers in Malaysia.…”

“…Lack of importance placed on food date label may lead to edible food waste (Toma et al, 2020) or consumption of inedible food that causes poisoning (Hart, 2020). Recent study in Malaysia reports that in Malaysian consumers would rather forego health aspects to buy cheaper products (Zainol et al, 2019). However, it is still unknown whether the grocery shoppers in Malaysia are willing to compromise safety and quality for cheaper food or bargain price.…”