How do consumers interpret labels on novel food products?

Challenge

In the decades following the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has enacted numerous regulations to protect consumers from unintended food allergen exposure. A key challenge to mitigating food allergen risks is addressing the influx of plant-based products and novel foods (foods new to the supply chain)to the market.

The FDA wants to better understand consumer reactions to labeling on products that use precision fermentation (uses microbial hosts to produce specific functional ingredients that often require greater purity). At present,16 brands use this processing approach for their products.

The FDA is concerned about the labeling on some precision fermentation products (e.g., animal-free, lactose-free, dairy-free, vegan, plant-based, etc.) because consumers may use these labels in place of allergen declarations to make decisions about whether a product contains an allergen. These novel food products are of particular interest because the precision-derived ingredient may still cause an allergic reaction even though the product has labeling that the consumer may interpret as indicating the absence of an allergen.

Solutions

Westat has extensive experience collaborating with the FDA to conduct food labeling and nutrition-related qualitative studies. For this formative research project, Westat will conduct 12 virtual focus groups with consumers to understand consumers’ interpretations of labeling on novel foods and plant-based products and to determine whether current labeling addresses the needs of those with allergenicity concerns.

Westat will collaborate with the FDA to develop the study materials and recruit participants from consumer panels broadly representative of the U.S. adult population.

The focus groups will be segmented by time zones, allergen status, and level of education. Each focus group will be led by highly experienced moderators using a semi-structured discussion guide. The focus group data will be coded and analyzed using qualitative data analysis software to determine key themes and any differences by focus group segment.

Results

As novel food products become available to consumers in the US, it is critical that their product labels convey sufficient information (in plain language) to prevent the unintended exposure to food allergens. Gathering feedback from consumers about their understanding of labeling can help inform recommendations and decisions about how to communicate potential risks effectively.