Nutritional information and consumer behaviour – their relationship to nutritional balance. A study conducted in Berlin

Abstract A sample of 503 randomly selected adults were asked about sources of nutritional information and food habits. In addition, participants were also asked to maintain a food record for three consecutive days. One hundred and forty‐nine participants completed both the questionnaire and 3‐day diary. Results indicate that of the 13 sources of nutritional information, friends and relatives were most frequently quoted, while scientific publications as well as advertising on packaging material were most rarely quoted. However, scientific publications and reports of the ‘Commodity Test Foundation’ (Stiftung Warentest) enjoy the greatest confidence. In addition, people relying on scientific publications show healthier eating habits. Only one of the 18 items in the nutritional behaviour tested (‘I try to keep to the rules of healthy nutrition’) shows a highly significant positive correlation with healthy nutrition. There is a negative correlation between acceptability and healthy nutrition. The main conclusions indicate that nutritional consciousness and dietary habits of both adoles‐cents and adults, as well as the health value of food, must be improved.