In terms of food, Italians are increasingly aware and informed consumers, they read labels carefully and prefer to obtain nutritional information through the battery system proposed by Italy rather than the less exhaustive traffic light system. It is the photograph taken from the opinion poll that Agronetwork, the association for the promotion of the industry set up by Confagricoltura, Nomisma and Luiss, commissioned Format Research on agri-food labeling systems and their use by consumers.
The results of the research were presented by Confagricoltura at Cibus, the International Food Exhibition hosted by the Parma Fair, during the conference 'Nutritional information in Europe between risks and opportunities', which saw the presence of the Minister of Policies agricultural, Stefano Patuanelli and the president of Confagricoltura, Massimiliano Giansanti. Speakers include, among others, Ivano Vacondio, president of Federalimentare and Marco Silano, director of the Food, Nutrition and Health Unit of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità.
According to the survey, for 81% of Italians quality is an element of primary importance for the purchase of agri-food products; 62% are also very attentive to nutritional information, while the choice, brand and price are less important (48% and 56.3% of consumers respectively give particular importance).
An important fact emerges from the survey: 63% of Italians acquire nutritional data through labels, while 30.6% obtain information through social media and the web and among those who rely on labels, 34% prefer Nutrinform Battery and only 17% prefer Nutriscore. "This is - underlines Confagricoltura - an important fact that reveals how consumers also prefer the battery system proposed by Italy over the less exhaustive and misleading traffic light system".
According to the survey, moreover, Italians are also very attentive to health: 76% believe that to stay healthy it is necessary to follow a diet as varied and complete as it includes all foods, while 24% argue that a healthy diet must completely eliminate foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar. From the research emerges a detailed photograph of consumers' reasons for purchasing and in particular of the methods and channels through which they obtain information in order to follow a healthy lifestyle. "It is therefore necessary - specifies the general secretary of Agronetwork Daniele Rossi - that the labeling system is clear, not misleading and takes into account the portions. It is no coincidence that the Italians would like Nutrinform Battery to be the reference for Europe". AND "Beyond the labeling systems on which we must decide in the coming months - concludes the president of Confagricoltura, Massimiliano Giansanti - we go further and ask ourselves what the future of food should be and how we must produce also for those areas of the planet where it is difficult to cultivate even a few quantities of raw materials ".
