Sing Chuan Kok and Che Wan Jasimah Mohamed Radzi
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the prepackaged foods in Malaysia are able to provide credible nutrition labels for consumers and how many prepackaged foods do…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the prepackaged foods in Malaysia are able to provide credible nutrition labels for consumers and how many prepackaged foods do not comply with the tolerance limits, regardless of whether the products are sold in Malaysia or exported to overseas even though there are no standardization of tolerance limits.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study consists of 300 samples (triplicate samples for each product) of core nutrients (energy, fat, carbohydrate and protein), which have been stratified into eight categories, were analysed and the analytical values were compared with the declared values. Compliance of products were obtained through the comparison with different guidelines.
Findings
About 34 per cent of analysed products did not comply with the tolerance limit according to the Food Act 1983, Malaysia (one way approach tolerance limit). Then, 73 per cent of products failed to comply with the tolerance leeway ±20 per cent (two-way approach) and 56 per cent of products did not comply with the tolerance limits set in the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services.
Research limitations/implications
Many researches have proved that consumers used nutrition label as a tool to improve their healthy lifestyles. The misleading of nutrition label will elicit detrimental effect to consumers especially who always rely on the nutrition label before purchasing. Hence, credibility of nutrition label is imperative. However, this research only focussed on four major core nutrients. Nutrients such as trans-fat and sodium have proved that are detrimental to human’s health are not covered in the study.
Practical implications
First, this research could directly reflect the credibility of nutrition label in the market. The government of the country should improve the surveillance activity on nutrition label. Meantime, free trade activities especially on food industries are active now; an accurate nutrition label is the first key to success in the business. This research can inject awareness to food producers who incline to do global free trade business shall always assure the accuracy of the nutrition label no matter the tolerance or guidelines are different among the countries.
Originality/value
There are many research about improvement in consumers’ awareness towards nutrition label but very little research conducted on the accuracy of nutrition label. The main purpose of those research is to improve public health awareness but this may become insignificant if the values of nutrition label are inaccurate. Then, the asymmetric of tolerance limits would trigger awareness from policy makers or food manufacturers to be more responsible in providing credible nutrition label. At the end, consumers are protected from inaccurate nutrition labels and a healthy nation can be sustained.
Details
Keywords
Sheng-Fang Chou, Chih-Hsing Sam Liu and Jun-You Lin
The purpose of this study is to illustrate the different systems controlling coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and curbing the impact of the virus on the hospitality economy…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to illustrate the different systems controlling coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and curbing the impact of the virus on the hospitality economy. The author’s clarified the critical attributes of the government, organization management system and consumer behaviour using mediation-moderation models and demonstrated how those critical attributes influenced customer consumption intention during COVID-19 in Taiwan.
Design/methodology/approach
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this research is mainly distributed through online questionnaires through Facebook and other social media channels to recruit volunteers. Second, the pre-test survey used 100 questionnaires collected from juniors and seniors from a university in northern Taiwan to make predictions. Third, this study also conducted a questionnaire validity analysis, which identified 9 criteria and 34 items. Fourth, the questionnaire collected samples for a total of three months. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses in a sample of 1,098 consumers in Taiwan.
Findings
This study considers government, enterprise and consumer levels and conducts relevant factor analysis from consumers’ perspectives to understand the changes in consumer behaviour under COVID-19 influence. Regarding mediation, this study finds that information and communication mediate the relationships between crisis management and COVID-19 impact. Regarding moderation, this study exposes the critical moderating part of human resources, that hygiene and safety strengthen the relationships between COVID-19 impact and attitude towards life and that perceived anxiety strengthens the relationship between attitude towards life and consumption intention.
Practical implications
During COVID-19, restaurants should cooperate with the government to reduce the risk of community infection. Therefore, the government also needs to cooperate with restaurant companies to enhance the industrial economy, actively communicate with consumers and provide correct and sufficient information. At the same time, restaurant enterprises also need to have sufficient human resource arrangements, hygiene and safety planning to eliminate consumers’ doubts.
Originality/value
These findings indicate that consumers’ consumption intention to eat out is affected by the COVID-19 impact and attitude towards life. This research also confirms that perceived anxiety has a mediating effect on the relationship between consumer attitudes towards life and consumption intentions. To improve the restaurant economic process, they should consider solutions to reduce consumers’ perception of the COVID-19 impact and fear of eating out.