article · Discover Public Health
A survey of 401 higher education students across colleges in Pune, India, examined awareness, comprehension, and practical use of food labels and serving size information. While awareness of food labels was high at 93.5 percent, actual comprehension was poor among 51.6 percent of respondents, and only 21.7 percent demonstrated good understanding. Label utilisation was similarly low, with only 8.7 percent reporting good use and 56.9 percent reporting moderate use. Furthermore, 54.4 percent of students struggled to interpret serving size data, and 36.1 percent identified lack of time as their main barrier to using labels. Knowledge of government regulations and initiatives remained limited. Comprehension was significantly linked to education level, study field, and country of origin, highlighting the need for targeted nutritional education programmes to enhance food label literacy.
Food labels are essential tools for promoting healthier dietary decisions and preventing diet-related non-communicable diseases. Demonstrating that high general awareness does not translate into understanding or practical use exposes critical gaps in public health communication. These insights can help policymakers and educators design clearer labelling formats and targeted nutrition education programmes that make dietary information easier and faster for young adults to interpret.
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Food labeling plays a crucial role in promoting informed dietary choices and preventing diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, the effectiveness of food labels depends on consumers’ awareness, comprehension, and usage of the provided information. This study assessed the awareness, comprehension, and usage of food package labels and serving size information among higher education students in Pune, Maharashtra, India. This was cross-sectional survey that was conducted at various institutions and colleges in Pune, Maharashtra, India. The sample comprised 401 students, including 292 females (72.8%) and 109 males (27.2%). Data were collected through a structured, pretested, and validated questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were performed using IBM SPSS Statistic (Version 27). A high proportion of participants (93.5%) were aware of food labels; however, only 64.8% were knowledgeable about government regulations, and 38.7% were familiar with the ‘Eat Right Campus’ initiative. Despite this, comprehension was generally low, with 51.6% demonstrating poor comprehension and only 21.7% showing good comprehension. Similarly, utilization was suboptimal, with 56.9% reporting moderate use and only 8.7% good use. More than half of participants (54.4%) reported difficulty interpreting serving size information. The most commonly reported barrier to label use was lack of time (36.1%). Significant associations were observed between comprehension and level of education (p = 0.04), field of study (p = 0.03), and country of origin (p = 0.02), while utilization was associated with country of origin (p = 0.007). The study’s results align with previous research indicating that while food label awareness is high, comprehension and usage remain suboptimal. Given the increasing burden of diet-related diseases, there is a critical need for targeted nutrition education programs and policy interventions to enhance food label literacy.
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DOI: 10.1186/s12982-026-02751-y
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