The Impact of Disclosure of Nutrition Information on Consumers' Behavioral Intention in Korea

Objective: To investigate the effect of nutritional information disclosure on consumers' nutritional perception, attitude, and behavioral intention to purchase the food item.Methods: Questionnaires were distributed measuring nutritional perception, attitude, and behavioral intention with different nutritional information about the food (no information, calories only, and six nutritional content information items: food weight(g), calories(kcal), protein(g), sugar(g), sodium(g), and saturated fat(g)). Food items shown to the respondents were hamburgers and bibimbap.Results: Descriptive analysis, analysis of variance, and multiple regression were used in order to examine the effects of nutritional information levels and different food items on consumers' behavioral intentions. Nutritional perception, food attitude, and food choice intention were all affected by levels of nutritional information and different food items. Also, food attitude was a predictor of food choice behavioral intention and was affected by different food items as well.However, results of the study found that objective and subjective knowledge of individuals are not related to their nutritional perception, attitude, and behavioral intention.Conclusions: Results of this study would help restaurant managers to prepare for consumers' demand on disclosure of nutritional information and adjust their menu ingredients for consumers' healthy food inquiries in order to respond to consumers' interests in nutritional information and ensure consumers satisfaction with the perceived nutritional value of food.