외식업체 영양표시에 대한 소비자 이용 현황 및 욕구 분석

Abstract

Nutritional information for restaurant food should be provided to help consumers, who are not currently interested in it or don’t use it frequently. This study suggests ways in which the newly-enacted restaurant nutrition labeling, which must be provided beginning in 2010, can be more consumer-friendly and effective. It analyzed data about consumer perception, use, and need of restaurant nutritional information. The research questions addressed in this study were: (1) the analysis of consumers' understanding and usage of restaurant nutrition labeling, (2) the analysis of restaurant nutrition labeling’s influence over consumers’ decision-making process at restaurant, (3) the analysis of consumers’ needs and wants on the information, formats, and the offering methods of restaurant nutrition labeling. This study conducted both a survey and two focus group interviews. The survey of consumers accessed a total of 1044 male and female consumers nationwide. Participants, who ate out more than one time a month, completed the instrument electronically by filling out a web-based form posted on the Internet. The two focus group interviews accessed a total of 15 people, who ate out more than one time a month, including housewives and female university students. The following results were obtained in the study. Participants ate out 7.63 times a month and spend 185,900 won on average per month. Their favorite choice of food was Korean, in particular casual snacks, Korean-style food, and barbecue. The major reasons to decide to eat out at restaurant and choose the restaurant were the opinion of family and friends and taste. But nutrition labeling is not important when deciding what kind of restaurant. Participants have only seen nutrition labeling at three types of restaurants, i.e., fast food, pizza, and family restaurants, but at other types of restaurants they haven’t seen nutrition labeling. Particularly, participants who could not remember to see the nutrition labeling at any restaurant were 31.7% of all. Moreover, participants who answered to see the nutrition labeling at restaurant could not remember the nutritional information in the concrete. Because consumers did not expect the products’ nutritional level itself available at fast food, pizza, and family restaurants and they did not go frequently. It showed that current restaurant nutrition labeling system was not consumer-friendly and effective. They looked at nutrition labeling mainly after they have decided what to eat at a restaurant. The 79.7% participants of all answered they saw the nutrition labeling in the restaurant they visited. And others answered they saw the nutrition labeling on internet, advertisement, newspaper. While they understood nutrition labeling pretty well, they did not use them frequently. Over the 70% participants of all answered they could understand the nutrition labeling with comparative ease. On the other hand, participants who used the nutrition labeling frequently were only 42.2% of all. The reason, from focus group interview, was that consumers decided to eat out at restaurant and choose the restaurant according to taste and price, not nutrition information. And they were not interested in restaurant nutrition labeling. In particular, those in their twenties and thirties, including men, who ate out frequently used nutrition label less frequently. For them, effective education is required. It is predicted that participants would choose a new healthy menu item due to nutrition labeling only if the new item was tasty and inexpensive. In focus group interviews results, participants answered they couldn’t give up the taste which they liked because of nutrition, and they were negative the rapid price advance. They answered they could pay more, on average 12.98%, because of nutrition. Participants were more conscious of calories and fats than other nutritional information. In focus group interviews results, participants felt nervous about their obesity and they were very sensitive recent warning news about nutrition such as the danger of trans fat. In addition, participants required more nutritional information as the type of restaurants, i.e.,the sodium at casual snacks, the cholesterol at barbecue and the trans fat at fast food, pizza, and family restaurants. They wanted graph-phi type labeling because it was easier to understand and use. At the same time, they wanted table-type labeling because it would provide lots of detailed information. Also, they wanted to see simple and important labeling such as calories on the menu and detailed labeling on tray mats and packages. Because when they decided to what to eat at restaurant, they only considered the information on the menu board, and then while they ate at restaurant or went back to house, they read the information on the tray mats and packages carefully. Based on these results, this study has the following suggestions. Calories should be provided on the menu for all restaurant food. Other information may be provided under a business’s discretion. But on the web-site, tray mats and packages, all nutritional information that focuses on sodium and fats should be provided. We recommend that graph-phi type labeling and table-type labeling should be shown together in order to enhance consumers understanding. In particular, we suggest that the font size of calories should be the same as that of price and menu name, because consumers have a lot of interest in calories when they decide to what to eat at restaurant. Consumer education by the internet and public DB is very important for young single consumers, including men who eat out frequently but use labeling less frequently. The government should let businesses know that promoting a new healthy menu makes nutrition labeling more effective. Because both effective restaurant nutrition labeling and successful development of healthy menu are important in order to enhance consumers’ usage of nutrition labeling. It should focus on public relations and consumer education.