Özet:

Abstract The food label is an important link between consumers and products, and may be used with important communication channel characteristics of the product. This study was carried out aiming at evaluating the habit of reading and understanding foodstuffs label content. The studied population was formed by clients of a supermarket chain located in the city of Niteroi, RJ, from September to December, 2003. Individual interviews were carried out (study quali-quantitative) in which was used a questionnaire about the labels applied to 400 customer. A database was prepared with the compiled results and the SPSS program (version 10) was used for statistical comparisons. The results regarding the quantitative part of the study showed that 61% of the studied population read the label of food products. Meanwhile, the symbol used to represent percent of daily value (%VD) in the nutritional table was understood by only 15.5%. Only 54.3% of this population believed (partially) in the label information and 74.8% of the studied population suggested changes in labels to facility the understanding. The results obtained clearly showed the urgent necessity of making easier the information given by labels, through the introduction of some modifications and also by implementing educative policies to help consumers to improve their food habits. Author Biography Bianca Ramos Marins, Escola Politécnica de Saúde Joaquim Venâncio, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (EPSJV/Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, RJ Possui graduação em Ciências Biológicas Modalidade Médica pela Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (2002), Mestrado e Doutorado em Vigilância Sanitária pelo Instituto Nacional de Controle de Qualidade em Saúde/Fiocruz. Experiência na área de Saúde Coletiva com enfoque em Vigilância Sanitária de alimentos, atuando principalmente nos seguintes temas: higiene de alimentos, rotulagem de alimento, legislação sanitária, comunicação em saúde. Atualmente é Professora-Pesquisadora do Laboratório de Vigilância em Saúde da Escola Politécnica de Saúde Joaquim Venâncio/Fiocruz.

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