Britons confused by food labels

More than 90 per cent of Britons find it easier to programme a video recorder than understand basic nutritional information on food packaging, according to research published today.

Researchers found that the vast majority of shoppers are confused by the sheer volume of information displayed, while 78 per cent do not understand basic nutritional terms.

Asked what RDA - Recommended Daily Allowance - stood for, many guessed Regional Development Agency or Royal Dramatic Art'.

The stress of living in London clearly takes its toll, with more than 70 per cent of Londoners saying they were more likely to eat less healthily when stressed - more than any other British city. Overall, more than one-third of Brits said they resorted to poor eating habits when hungover.

The research confirms that dieting, whether successful or not, has become a way of life for the majority. More than one third of men (36 per cent) and 44 per cent of women said they would prefer to be able to eat without putting on weight than speak a foreign language or increase their IQ.

Northerners were far less concerned with healthy eating, with 25 per cent expressing no concern about food health issues, compared to just seven per cent of Southerners.

The study, commissioned by Safeway and conducted among 994 men and women aged between 25 and 64, examines progress in achieving targets in the Government public health strategy Saving Lives - Our Healthier Nation.

Published two years ago, the strategy aimed to improve health and prevent 300,000 unnecessary deaths by 2010.Judith Batchelar, of Safeway, said: "The insights the research provides will help us to continue to pioneer the development of healthy, clearly labelled foods."

Food & Drink