FOOD EXPIRATION DATES - LABEL COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATIONS AND CONSUMER PERCEPTION
Keywords:
food, food expiration dates, labels, consumersAbstract
Labelling the expiration date of food is a legal obligation of all food business operators (FBO) and it is the most used information among consumers. The expiration date represents the length of time during which FBO guarantees that a certain food will retain its original properties and quality, provided that it is stored according to the instructions and that the packaging is not opened or damaged. There are different terms used to indicate the expiration date, which from the consumer's perspective can contribute to confusion regarding the interpretation and use of the date and consequently food rejection. This study aimed to examine the conformity of food labels regarding the expiration date's labelling and the consumer's perception in the context of understanding and interpreting the expiration date of food. This cross-sectional study included 941 prepackaged food products from five selected food categories sampled in three leading retailers in Sarajevo Canton and 400 respondents over 18 years of age of different socio-economic statuses. The following research instruments were used: a dedicated form prepared by the requirements of the current legal regulation related to food labelling and an anonymous survey questionnaire created as a result of a literature search and existing similar questionnaires. A high percentage of expiration dates on food labels was recorded (98.8%), however, compliance was recorded for only 68.3% of products. The best compliance was recorded in the category of dairy products. The expiration date of more than half of the products (57.9%) was marked with the phrase "Best before". Only 54% of respondents declared that they fully understood the meaning of the terms used to indicate the expiration date of food. By detailed analysis of the answers, only 3.5% of respondents gave the correct answer and understood the difference between the terms. There is a statistically significant difference in the understanding of the expressions used to indicate the expiration date regarding to the gender, age and professional education of the respondents (p<0.05). Better harmonization of food labels in terms of expiration dates is necessary, as well as an increase in the level of understanding and interpretation of the terms used to protect the health of consumers and reduce the amount of discarded food.
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