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Survey Shows Gains in Food-Label Use, Health/Diet Awareness

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More than half of consumers in the United States often read the food label when buying a product for the first time. These consumers are also increasingly aware of the link between diet and heart disease.

Those are among the key findings that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released from its latest Health and Diet Survey, a snapshot of the nation's dietary habits.

FDA released findings from the 2008 telephone survey of more than 2,500 adults in every state and the District of Columbia on March 2, 2010. This is the 10th such survey since 1982. The most recent previous surveys were conducted in 2002 and 2004.

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Linking Diet and Heart Disease

Among the highlights of survey findings in regard to how diet affects health:

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Food Label Highlights

Findings in regard to food labels include

The survey found differing degrees of trust about claims found on food labels. For example, 41 percent of consumers believe that all or most of claims such as “low fat,” “high fiber,” or “cholesterol free” are accurate, while 56 percent believe that some or none of them are accurate.

Also, 64 percent of consumers reported seeing nutrition labeling on menus, napkins, or place mats in restaurants. About half of these consumers use this information often or sometimes.

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Eating Habits

The survey also examined eating habits. Among findings in that category were that 54 percent of consumers reported eating breakfast seven days a week, while 8 percent said they skip the meal every day. In contrast, 86 percent said they eat dinner seven days a week, while 1 percent said they always skip it.

This article appears on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.

Date Posted: March 2, 2010

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