E-commerce is increasingly becoming a widely used channel for selling and distributing food products. In recent years, there has been a surge in the sale of food products and a rise in the number of online grocery stores. Competition among these online stores for customers is intensifying. Therefore, to stand out in the market and cultivate loyal customers, they must prioritise a high-quality offering supported by effective marketing activities. A store’s website is not merely a platform for selling products but a sophisticated marketing mechanism through which companies can leverage multiple tools to achieve market success. One crucial element of the store’s website that enables differentiation and trust-building with buyers is the ‘About Us’ page. This article aims to identify the role of ‘About Us’ pages in the marketing communication of online stores and the degree of differentiation among them. The primary purpose of the article is to define the role and diversification of the ‘About Us’ pages on the websites of online food retailers.

Using the content analysis method, variables related to the content of the studied web pages were identified, coded and counted. Content analysis is a systematic, objective and quantitative analysis of content characteristics (Neuendorf, 2002). The main stages of this research include the observation of web pages, the selection of variables to be surveyed (representing specific categories of content), coding instances of variables on analysed pages and quantitative analysis of encoded data. While the method of content analysis has been employed multiple times in the scientific literature to analyse website content, the author of this article is not aware of any scientific study focusing specifically on the content analysis of ‘About Us’ pages.

The Role of the ‘About Us’ Page in the Marketing Communication of Online Stores

The large number of online stores means that many of them offer similar products from the same suppliers on the market. The high quality of the products offered and the wide assortment are important, but not sufficient in online sales. The quality of the online store website consists of two important dimensions: the quality of the online store website design and the information quality of the online store (Kamaladevi & Vanithamani, 2014). The quality of the store design consists of features such as, the speed of closing transactions, a wide selection of products, convenience in navigating the store and ease of searching for products. In turn, the information quality is determined by characteristics such as accurate information, up-to-date information, information on the status of the order and information presented in a transparent and comprehensible form. Information quality increases the ease of use of the online store and trust in it.

In the age of social media, consumers demand from companies a more open and interpersonal model of communication. Through social networks, brands try to provide an interpersonal model of communication, in which the company and the brand are no longer anonymous, but are backed by specific people known to customers and specific transparent actions of companies, for example, related to corporate social responsibility, sustainable development, and concern for the welfare of consumers and the environment. Companies are required to have, among other things, authenticity (to make them feel personal and authentic), transparency (to have an open and transparent attitude to their business practices and social engagement) and long-term vision (to optimise their operations for long-term customer relationships) (Shih, 2012). This marketing approach is now also becoming the norm in promotional messages, where brands try to show a human face by presenting employees and their passions on the website, as well as try to present their pro-social activities transparently.

In the design concepts of online stores, a large role is attached to the quality of posted content. Moreover, the quality of content is a broad concept and refers to both their informational and aesthetic spheres. Visitors to the store website encountering interesting and attractive content are more willing to stay on the website, as well as more willing to return to it. In recent years, content marketing has gained importance as a branch of Internet marketing. Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and retain a defined audience (Content Marketing Institute, 2022). Thanks to content marketing, companies become content publishers and can decide on what information to publish on their website. Content posted on the website should be created with their audience in mind while maintaining high quality of the message, also in the aesthetic sphere (Bakalarska-Stankiewicz, 2020).

To make an online store brand stand out on the market, you need to invest in high-quality, diverse content. Nowadays, Internet users are exposed to a large amount of information and content. It is therefore important to use content that attracts the attention of consumers. To this end, visual content is becoming increasingly important, which can more effectively distinguish the brand and the company. Businesses should use video materials on their websites to present their products and to build a good corporate image. Video marketing is an effective way to strengthen customer relationships and maintain a good brand image in the minds of Internet users (Han et al., 2022). The growing role of infographics as content on websites is also noticeable. Infographics are defined as visualisations of data or ideas used to convey complex information in a way that makes it easier for audiences to understand (Smiciklas, 2012).

Companies can communicate their values through the brand story (storytelling), thereby providing meaning to the brand (Singh & Sonnenburg, 2012). The brand story is therefore an important tool for building bonds between the brand and consumers (Dias & Cavalheiro, 2022). The brand story consists of elements such as what the brand says about itself, what the brand does (what the company does), what others say about the brand and how others interact with the brand (Tyagi, 2021).

The ‘About Us’ page is one of the tools of what the brand says about itself and at the same time it is one of the few places on the website where the company has the opportunity to present its values, vision and tell its story. This can be done in the form of text, but also with the use of different methods of presentation of image and video information. Through the use of different information formats, the message can affect consumers in the sphere of objective textual information, through visual means and affect consumers’ emotions, which makes the message better remembered by consumers. The brand can use pictures, infographics (e.g. timeline infographics) or special web design techniques, for example, ‘parallax scrolling’, which are based on an optical 3D illusion, when the background of the page scrolls slower than the main content presented. These are among the most effective visual techniques of presentation of information on the website, which significantly improves the customer experience on the website of the online store (Wang & Sundar 2018).

Experts in the field of e-commerce point out that the ‘About Us’ page is a very important element of building the trust and reputation of the online store among customers (Krysik, 2021). The contents of the ‘About Us’ website, such as the history of the company, its mission, transformations, traditions, values and local involvement, add up to create a branding background that gives customers a sense of trust and security (Jasiński, 2021). An important task of the ‘About Us’ page is to invent the personality of your company and then share it with the clients, which is not an easy task (Sharma, 2023). It is indicated that the ‘About Us’ page should have the following details (Roach, 2021):

• History of the online store. In this section it is necessary to describe in an engaging way the circumstances of the establishment of the store, milestones in the development of the company and its achievements.
• Team members. Introducing employees who are passionate about developing their online business. This element is important because in this way we show the human side of the business and it is easier for consumers to establish relationships with people.
• Multimedia and infographics. The use of infographics is better than long text descriptions because they make it easier for visitors to understand and remember the concept of this online business. A good solution is also to add a video about the creation of the company and its main concepts and distinguishing features.

The global e-commerce platform Shopify publishes the following tips for online store owners using its services, which relate to the goals that the online store can achieve through the ‘About Us’ page (Keenan, 2022):

• Communicating stories about the business and how it started;
• Describing which buyers and what needs the store serves;
• Description of the business model;
• Show the face of the company by introducing the founders or a member of the team;
• Placing persuasive content in the form of an instructional video, data visualisation and links to posts, so that they do not have to be posted on the homepage.

It is worth noting that the ‘About Us’ page may also contain any important information about the company, which would overload the homepage of the store and introduce information confusion on it.

Online food stores are usually small businesses. They do not have such a well-known store brand as large retail chains. For small online stores, the most important task is to attract customers, interest in the store’s offer and increase confidence in the store. Thanks to engaging content on the ‘About Us’ page, the store has the opportunity to attract consumers and achieve their trust.

Characteristics and Variety of ‘About Us’ Pages of Online Food Stores

The research sample selection for the study was purposeful. Stores that promoted themselves online as health or organic food stores were selected. As a result, the research sample has been limited to entities that are less diverse in terms of industry, more specialised, small online enterprises, which strive to differentiate themselves on the market and gain the trust of consumers through exceptional quality products, but also through online marketing activities. Therefore they can treat the ‘About Us’ page as an important element of the online store.

The sample consisted of 30 online shops whose web addresses are listed in Table 1. The analysis of websites of online stores was carried out by the author in June 2023.

During the content analysis study, the following variables were identified, representing the content categories present on the ‘About Us’ pages: 1. Natural and cultural attractiveness of the region where the store is located (LS); 2. Many years of experience (WD); 3. Expression of the company’s values of health and healthy lifestyle (HS); 4. High-quality products, careful selection of products and suppliers in terms of quality, careful selection of products in the assortment to meet the needs of buyers (PJ); 5. Products from certified organic farming (PU); 6. Wide range of products in store, wide assortment (PW); 7. Listed main categories of products available in the store, product specialisation (PG); 8. Offering exceptional products, hard to find in other stores (PT); 9. Low, attractive, competitive prices (NC); 10. High standards of customer service (KO); 11. Natural products, unprocessed, without preservatives and other artificial additives (PN); 12. Listed brand names of products available in the store offer (MA); 13. Fast shipping, fast order fulfillment (SW); 14. Fast and safe delivery of products to the customer (SD); 15. Request for customer feedback, openness to customer feedback (OP); 16. Invitation to visit social media (SM); 17. Types of packaging used, organic packaging (OR); 18. Promotions and discounts (PR); 19. Invitation to subscribe to the newsletter (ZN); 20. Invitation to visit the company blog (ZB); 21. Large scale of activity (DU); 22. Careful picking and packing of the order (SK); 23. Expert knowledge of the food products and food market (WM); 24. The store holds certificates, awards and distinctions (PC); 25. Convenient payment (WP); 26. Many supply options (DO); 27. Presentation of the team of employees as full of passion and commitment at work (ZP); 28. Simultaneous running of a stationary store or wholesale store (HU); 29. The store is a Polish company (FP); 30. Polish product suppliers (DP); 31. Local product suppliers (DL); 32. Trusted suppliers (DZ); 33. Concern for the environment (TS); 34. Wishes for customers, for example, good shopping or an invitation to shop in the store (KZ); 35. Educating consumers about healthy eating, organic food, locally produced food (ED); 36. The ability to make purchases without registering in the store (BR); 37. Presentation of the owners or team of employees by name (NA); 38. Invitation to propose products by consumers to introduce them to the store assortment (KP).

In addition to the variables listed above representing each thematic category of content, the study also identified four variables representing the use of visual formats on the ‘About Us’ page, and these were the following variables. 1. Photos (ZZ); 2. Graphic elements (GR); 3. Infographic (IN); 4. Film (FI).

Table 2 presents the frequencies of the surveyed variables representing the content identified during the survey on the ‘About Us’ pages of the surveyed online stores. The values in brackets next to the content attributes indicate the frequency of content occurrence in numerical and percentage terms.

As can be seen from Table 2, the content analysis showed a wide variation in the incidence of variables. There was less variation in the variables representing image formats included on the analysed pages. Particularly noteworthy are the same frequency values for graphics, infographics and photos.

Some thematic content variables occur with a frequency of several tens of percents, and some with a frequency of several percents. In order to approximate the frequency of content categories posted on the ‘About Us’ page, the data are divided into three groups in terms of frequency. The first group of the most common variables is presented in Figure 1. These are variables that occur on the studied pages with a frequency of at least 30%.

As shown in Figure 1, most of the analysed ‘About Us’ pages contained content related to the high quality of the products offered by the online store. These contents appeared on 73% of the examined pages. The stores indicated that their products were of high quality due to the very good knowledge of the store staff about the quality of the products and the needs of consumers. Thanks to their expertise, they make a careful selection of products in the store’s assortment. As can be seen from Figure 1, the second most frequent content was that stores offered natural products, unprocessed and without artificial chemicals (57% of pages). Other variables that also referred to the products offered by the store, and included in Figure 1, were related to the certified organic crops offered by the store (40% of instances) and represented an indication of the main or unique categories of products offered by the store (33%).

As Figure 1 shows, a very common way (53%) to describe their store was to include content in which companies expressed their values of healthy lifestyles, including the importance of healthy eating. An important feature of content found in 40% of the surveyed pages was the indication of many years of experience in the industry expressed most often by indicating the year of establishment of the store. Such information can be considered at the same time as an element of creating a story about the brand, brand image, as well as a tool to build trust among customers.

An important content category included on the surveyed pages was also the indication of high trust in suppliers (33%). The trust in suppliers was in many cases supported by good and long-term cooperation with them.

In many cases, the content indicated high standards of customer service (30%). This kind of content conveys to the customers that they can expect to quickly resolve any problems with which they turn to the company, which can positively affect the trust in the store.

Variables related to less frequent content on the pages are presented in Figure 2.

As shown in Figure 2, product-related variables were also included in the group of less frequent variables. In 20% of cases, store descriptions indicated a wide range of products available in the store; 17% of online stores indicated that their products were of national origin. The fact that the store offers unique and hard-to-reach products on the market was also indicated with a frequency of 17%.

Figure 2 also shows that other variables that were relatively common (with a frequency of 17%) were content about educating consumers about healthy eating and organic products and inviting them to read the store’s blog. Such content can build an image among consumers of a company that has knowledge in the field of food and healthy eating. Similarly, there was content in which the owners or employees of the online store introduced themselves to consumers. Introducing the store’s employees makes the company and the store’s brand adopt a more human face, and its employees are no longer anonymous to consumers, which can be a tool for building trust and establishing relationships with customers. A similar role was played by content referring to the presentation of the team employees as people with passion and dedication to their work in the store (frequency 13%).

With the same frequency of 13% there was a variable referring to having in addition to an online store also a stationary store or a wholesale store. This information can also increase consumer confidence in the store and present the online store in their eyes as a solid company with a physical location.

The group of variables presented in Figure 2 also includes two variables related to the financial benefits that customers may derive from purchases in the store. These were variables relating to attractive prices offered for products sold (13%) and promotions and discounts (13%).

The two features presented in Figure 2 related to the logistics functions of order handling and they also occurred with a 13% frequency. It was fast shipping of purchased products, and careful picking and packing by the store staff.

With a 13% frequency, they also indicated features of content that have a high potential to build trust and image of the store in the eyes of customers. These were variables related to certificates, awards and distinctions given to the online store and the second feature related to environmental concern. Nowadays, concern for the environment is very well perceived by consumers, especially consumers of organic products. Therefore, by posting such content online, stores can win over many consumers.

Figure 3 shows the content variables with the lowest frequency (up to 10%). It is worth noting the fact that these were the rarest content categories, which makes them at the same time the most distinctive content of online stores in what they say about themselves on the ‘About Us’ pages.

Two characteristics that were relatively more often pointed out in this group related to consumer patriotism, with a 10% of frequency. The first was that the presented online store is a Polish company with Polish capital, while the second was that the products available in the store are of local origin (usually in the sense of a single region or voivodship).

Sometimes it was reported about the large scale of the store’s activity (7%), for example, by indicating the number of completed orders. Presenting the scale of the store’s activity may have an impact on increasing consumer confidence. Also in 7% of the cases, stores tried to encourage customers by informing them that they have very good knowledge of the products sold and the market.

Figure 3 shows that this group of variables also includes several that refer to logistics processes and activities, such as fast and safe delivery (10%), the types of packaging used (7%) and the number of delivery options available to the store (7%). When informing about the packaging, the surveyed online stores presented it most often in the context of the use of environmentally friendly packaging or in line with the concept of Zero Waste, such as the use of biodegradable packaging or packaging fillers derived from recycling.

In Figure 3, it can also be seen that among the group of the least frequently appearing content variables were those referring to the openness of the store’s employees to customers. Inviting customers to visit the store’s social media like Facebook profile (7%), asking for customer feedback on the store’s performance and purchased products (7%), as well as asking customers to make suggestions for products that should appear in the store’s offerings (3%), are all content indicating a willingness to help customers and listen to them.

The rarest content was those that pointed to an easy way to make purchases in the online store. Consumers were encouraged to make purchases by promising them a convenient payment process and the ability to make purchases without creating an online customer account (shopping without registration).

Conclusions

The ‘About Us’ page serves as a pivotal element in enhancing the information quality of online stores. It functions as a potent tool for content marketing, allowing online stores to establish a crucial channel for shaping the company’s image, store brand and customer trust through compelling and aesthetically appealing content. Through brand storytelling, companies can effectively communicate their guiding values, lending meaning to the store’s brand. Establishing customer trust holds particular significance for online stores, where encountering unfair practices towards consumers is not uncommon.

The ‘About Us’ page provides an opportunity for the company and brand to present a human face by introducing the individuals behind it. This page enables online stores to create an impression of authenticity, transparency in business practices, social commitment and a long-term vision – qualities increasingly valued in the age of social media.

A content analysis study conducted by the author revealed that the ‘About Us’ page is a crucial element for online food stores, yet it exhibits significant variability in content. The survey identified the frequency of different content categories on the examined store pages. The most prevalent category focused on products sold, emphasising qualities such as product excellence, natural and unprocessed ingredients, and the origin of organic products. Additionally, online stores frequently included content promoting a healthy lifestyle and eating habits.

Certain websites surveyed showcased content highlighting the expertise of store staff, providing education on organic food characteristics, inviting visitors to a blog sharing expertise on healthy eating, and conveying the company employees’ familiarity with healthy eating rules and food product ingredients.

Other notable content on the pages included social information and efforts to build interpersonal relationships with customers. This involved introducing store owners, presenting employees with brief profiles, depicting passionate employees, encouraging social media engagement and inviting consumers to dialogue by asking questions and expressing opinions.

Online stores commonly made promises on their ‘About Us’ pages, such as commitments to high standards of customer service, low prices, promotions, discounts, fast shipping, accurate picking and packaging, and diverse delivery options.

Factors contributing to customer trust were found to include information on years of experience, the scale of activity, operation of physical stores or wholesale operations, and details about awards and certificates held by the online store.

In an era where environmental concerns are paramount, information about the environmental activities of online shops, especially in the case of organic food stores, was found to resonate positively with consumers. Some stores conveyed their commitment to environmental care, while others highlighted packaging solutions aligned with Zero Waste principles.

The analysis demonstrated that the use of the ‘About Us’ page was prevalent in surveyed organic food online stores. While most pages focused on product promotion and espousing values related to a healthy lifestyle, some provided insufficient information for building trust and branding.

The substantial variation in content frequency arises from most stores opting for concise descriptions. However, it is crucial to emphasize that ‘About Us’ pages should not be subject to strict volume restrictions. The information should be presented transparently and attractively, with online stores encouraged to share their ‘brand story’ to engage customers effectively.

In terms of visual presentation, the examined pages predominantly used images in the form of graphics and photos to enhance content. Recommendations include greater utilisation of dynamic images, such as videos featuring employees discussing the store, increased use of infographics seamlessly integrated into text, and the incorporation of modern presentation techniques like timelines and parallax scrolling to enhance consumer engagement with the content.

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The attitudes and behaviors of food consumers have changed significantly over the last decade or so, including a trend towards healthy eating and an interest in the influence of nutrients on general health, as well as in the prevention and treatment of existing diseases. As a consequence of these changes, foods with potentially beneficial effects on health and weight control have become more common (de Boer, 2021, pp.2).

The information on food packaging can encourage consumers to make healthier food choices, facilitate selection of portions adequate for their actual nutrition needs, and support their education in healthy eating. Unfortunately, reaping such benefits makes it difficult for them to navigate the food market, the quantity and variety of food products and the abundance of information contained on their labels. As a consequence, consumers focus their attention on simple messages (e.g. health and nutrition claims) that will help them find a product that stands out for its health or nutrition values. This approach may unfortunately lead them to make the wrong purchasing decisions. Claims are increasingly used to increase the purchase attractiveness of a product by food producers, who in many cases do not act honestly and mislead consumers (Davidović, et al., 2021, 1–2).

Ensuring that consumers can safely rely on the information on food packaging, as well as the highest quality and appropriateness of this information, is particularly important in the face of increasing obesity rates. By creating a friendly environment for consumers to make the right food choices, the epidemic of obesity and related diseases can be prevented and claims and other information on food packaging are a key element in this regard. For most consumers, they are the primary source of nutrition knowledge. Their role should be primarily to raise consumer awareness of the composition and properties of food products, and thus encourage their interest in healthy foods. In practice, however, buyers do not use them sufficiently due to difficulties in understanding them and the limited amount of time to make purchasing decisions (Oostenbach, Slits, Robinson & Sacks, 2019, pp.2).

The impact of nutrition claims on consumer purchasing intentions and dietary choices has been the subject of research by many authors (e.g.
Steinhauser, Janssen & Hamm, 2019, pp. 4–14; Steinhauser & Hamm, 2018, pp. 1–33; Lynam, McKevitt & Gibney, 2011, pp. 2–6; Annunziata & Mariani, 2019, pp. 3–13). However, there are few studies in which conclusions about attitudes and behaviors towards participants’ statements are compared to their objectively verified knowledge about this form of marketing communication. There is also a dearth of studies that compare how consumers’ perception of claims differs depending on whether they are placed on a product or are separate information.

Therefore, the main purposes of this paper are:

1. Identifying factors related to food consumers and producers that determine the effective influencing of claims on the perception of food products bearing them.
2. Finding factors that negatively affect the purchase intentions of products with claims.
3. Determining how claims affect the perception of products by consumers.
4. Seeing whether there is a correlation between consumers’ knowledge of claims and their attitude towards them.
5. Understanding the determinants of effectively encouraging consumers to make healthier food choices through claims.

The use of health and nutrition claims in the light of European food law

Health claims describe or indicate the health-promoting effects of a given product or its ingredients. In turn, a nutrition claim is defined as any claim made on the label of a food product that relates to its nutritional value. The content of both health and nutrition claims must be comprehensible and transparent to consumers so that their interpretation will be truthful. One condition for making claims in accordance with European Food Law is that they must not imply that other foods are less healthy or less nutritious. It is also forbidden to use claims that imply that the consumption of a given product is necessary to cover the need for all essential nutrients. It is important that the regulations concerning claims also apply to symbols, trademarks or even product names, which should be supplemented by permitted statements (de Boer, 2021, p. 3). In addition, claims include not only health or nutrition messages placed on food packaging, but also those used in marketing campaigns and other promotional activities (OJEU, L 404, 30.12.2006, pp. 9).

Food law regulations regarding claims may vary depending on the laws and regulations issued in a given country. However, in the case of countries belonging to the European Union (EU), for example, they must meet certain standards and requirements. These conditions are primarily used to protect the health of consumers, as well as to minimize their being misled by the dishonest actions of producers (Szymura, 2012, pp. 1–3). The European Union has undertaken to achieve these objectives by issuing Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims (OJEU, L 404, 30.12.2006). However, in 2008 it issued Regulation (EC) No 107/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods as regards the implementing powers conferred on the Commission (OJEU L 39, 13.2.2008, p. 8–10). In Europe, in addition to the regulations contained in this regulation, validation of claims by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is mandatory. Any claim that a given food producer wants to put on their product must indicate the nutrition or health properties supported by generally accepted, reliable scientific evidence (Szymecka-Wesołowska, 2011, pp. 21–22). Claims that pass EFSA verification are included in the publicly available list of approved claims. Currently, 30 nutrition claims listed in Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 are allowed on the food market. Any nutrition claim that a manufacturer wants to include on the packaging of their product must have the same meaning as any of the claims contained in the regulation and must meet the relevant nutrition criteria. For example, a product can be labeled “a source of protein” or a statement with the same wording may be used on its label only if at least 12 % of its energy value comes from protein.

In addition to indicating the source of the nutrient, nutrition claims can be formulated using the words (OJEU, L 404, 30.12.2006, pp. 9–25):

• Low/very low content/value…;
• High in…;
• Without, without additive, there is no, does not contain…;
• Contains…;
• With increased/reduced content…;
• Light;
• Natural/naturally…;

Moving on to health claims, 4 main types can be distinguished (de Boer, 2021, pp. 5):

I. Functional claims based on generally accepted scientific evidence;
II. Functional claims based on newly developed scientific insights;
III. Claims relating to the reduction of a risk factor in the development of the disease;
IV. Statements relating to the growth and development of children.

Although there are only 4 types of these claims, the number of claims that currently exist on the food market is 265. Examples of health claims include: Zinc helps to maintain a proper acid-base balance or magnesium contributes to the maintenance of proper energy metabolism (O. J. EU, L 136, 25.05.2012, pp. 4–40).

The conditions of use and the system for validating claims were checked during the European Commission’s Regulatory Fitness and Performance Program (REFIT) from 2013 to 2020. One of the results of REFIT was that health and nutrition claims currently do not fully perform their role and new regulations are required to take into account the problems identified (de Boer, 2021, p.2). In addition, there are frequent cases of fraud involving use of statements that are inconsistent with the actual nutritional value or health properties of a given product (Lorenzoni, et al., 2019, pp. 3–12).

Existing research on food consumers’ understanding and use of claims

In a study conducted on a group of 100 participants from five European countries — Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia and the United Kingdom — it was examined whether and how food consumers understand selected health and nutrition claims. Out of these 100 participants, 51% declared that they use statements quite often or very often, on a daily basis.

Distinguishing between claims in terms of their types and meaning was not a problem for most participants in this study. The exceptions were statements with difficult vocabulary, such as, for example, one concerning homocysteine metabolism. Difficulties in understanding the statements also appeared when they referred to nutrients that are not very well known to participants or not very popular. Nutrition claims were rated more positively for affordability, but at the same time, the respondents believed that they should be supplemented with information on the health benefits of consuming the product. In addition, respondents expressed skepticism about nutrition claims indicating that the product is a meal replacement and those with reduced sugar and fat content. The statements were also considered by some respondents to be marketing tricks urging them to make larger purchases. The correct interpretation and positive perception of the claims in this study also depended on whether they related to health benefits or nutritional values that were important to the participants.

Another important finding of this work is that in several cases respondents over-interpreted the statements by assigning them meanings that they did not objectively indicate (Hodgkins, et al., 2019, pp. 7–24).

In another paper — a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies conducted in 2014–2017, the impact of food labeling on food purchases, consumer health and the activities of producers was examined. The overall conclusion of this paper is that food labeling has a beneficial effect on protecting the health of consumers. Food labels have been shown to reduce fat consumption and the overall energy value of the diet. In addition, they encourage more frequent consumption of vegetables. However, they still do not affect the consumption of salt, carbohydrates, protein, saturated fats, fruits or whole grains (Shangguan, et al., 2019, pp. 7–10).

However, there are also papers whose results indicate that claims induce consumers to consume excessively. This may be the case for individual nutrients when consumers mistakenly believe that the more they consume, the better for their health, or are unaware that they are already consuming the ingredient in excess. It also happens that statements are not precise, which leads them to be misunderstood. This is so, for example, in the case of the statement “provides energy”, which only states that the product is not calorie-free (and often that it is high-calorie), but for some consumers this message may mean that the consumption of the product will have a stimulating effect on them (Chandon & Wansink, 2012, pp. 8).

Misinterpretation is also common in the case of claims regarding the content of a particular nutrient. This is mainly the case when the consumer judges the product based on the claim itself without analyzing the nutrition table or ingredient list. This is a particularly harmful approach, as the claims only draw attention to healthy ingredients, thereby diverting it from those that are dangerous to health. The same is true when the claim concerns the reduction of the risk of disease by consuming a particular product, while this product at the same time contains ingredients that increase this risk. An equally important problem for consumers is the so-called “Halo effect”, which in relation to products with claims refers to the phenomenon of attributing qualities to them that they do not have.

However, there is no doubt that not only consumers are to blame, but also producers who are fully aware of the presence and operation of these mechanisms (Talati, et al., 2017, pp.2).

Survey methodology — examining awareness and perception of claims among consumers

In the period from 20.04.2021 to 04.05.2021, a questionnaire with elements of experimental measurement was carried out. The study used the CAWI method using Google’s web forms. The selection of the sample was purposive and was performed using the “snowball sampling” method.

The sample consisted of 200 respondents of Polish nationality. The individual characteristics of the respondents are presented in Table 1.

In the initial questions in the survey, participants rated a food product presented to them in pictures, which contained various configurations of claims on their packaging. This section of the form was the only one that varied for individual participants. By sending the appropriate versions of the form, the respondents were divided into 4 groups of 50 people. Group 1 received a form with pictures of products bearing nutrition claims (NC), group 2 with health claims (HC), group 3 with both types of claims (NHC), and group 4 with pictures of products without claims, as the control group (C). The other packaging elements of the products presented in the pictures for all groups were identical and did not contain any advertising slogans, trademarks or names of manufacturers.

The evaluation criteria were:

• Health;
• Caloric value;
• Taste;
• The reliability of the information on the label;
• Willingness to purchase;
• Willingness to consume.

The rating scale was from 1 to 5. The ratings in each group were added up and then the average was drawn from them.

The next questions concerned the degree of interest in healthy eating and the information on food labels, as well as the level of respondents’
practical and theoretical knowledge about claims. This made it possible to explore the standard of knowledge concerning food law among the respondents, as well as to discover how this translates into the ability to interpret claims.

The study also examined the interpretation of claims as separate messages not appearing on a specific product. Participants were asked to choose answers in the form of sentences that most accurately describe their feelings about a specific health or nutrition claim presented to them. For statements, any number of responses could be selected from:

1. It is worth buying this product;
2. The information is reliable for me;
3. The information is understandable to me;
4. This product is healthy;
5. This product does not taste good;
6. The information encourages the consumption of the product.

The survey form was completed by collecting basic data on respondents, such as age, education, financial situation and health status, which are of great importance for making food choices and purchasing decisions.

To ensure the reliability of the results, the collected data were subjected to statistical tests. Statistical analysis was based, inter alia, on the Pearson correlation test or Student’s t test for two averages.

Results

The findings of the study are listed in the Tables and Charts below. The differences in the assessment of the products depending on the claims made on them were statistically insignificant. However, for some products, the impact of the claims on the participants’ product assessment was particularly evident:

83% of the sample rated their level of interest in healthy eating as medium and 20% as very high. The most important information for the respondents on food labels turned out to be: use-by date, the price of the product and nutrition information on the back of the packaging, such as the nutrition table or composition. Right behind them were: markings and information contained on the front of the pack.

29% of respondents stated they always pay attention to the detailed information presented on the packaging of food products, 41% that they do so usually, while only 4% that they never do so.

Slightly more than half of the participants could not point out the difference between a nutrition claim and a health claim, while the vast majority did not know what the real meaning of individual nutrition claims was.

It was also noted that respondents were skeptical of health-related information on food packaging. 36%, which is the largest proportion, believed that placing such information on the label is regulated by law, but the rules are often violated by manufacturers.
Statements presented as separate messages were most often associated by respondents with a healthy product, and the least often indicated to them that the product does not taste good.

Conclusions

The results of this study show that the impact of the claim on the perception of the health benefits of the product by consumers is strongly dependent on the specific product being assessed. The credibility and significance of the statement for the consumer may be limited by their previous prejudices. Therefore, the inclusion of a claim on a product should be preceded by promotional activities aimed at increasing the perception of its attractiveness by consumers.

The study also showed that the presence of claims affects the deterioration of the perception of the palatability of products considered to be the least healthy.

A significant percentage of the respondents declared that when shopping they pay attention not only to the front of the product packaging, but also to the back. Taking into account the fact that nutrition claims are usually found on the front of the packaging, while health claims on the back, it can be concluded that using both types of claims on labels may be more effective in promoting health than using only one type. Furthermore, based on the results of this work, it can be concluded that consumers now clearly expect information on labels detailing the health effects of a nutrient, so using nutrition claims alone will become increasingly unsatisfactory for them.

Consumers are actually more likely to analyze food labels. This is an important result for food producers, which suggests that they should pay particular attention to the appropriateness of the information provided on the product packaging. Clarifying the content of labels for a thorough analysis may be related to another phenomenon that has been demonstrated in this paper, namely that consumers show a low level of confidence in the credibility of statements. The study did not show that consumer distrust of the credibility of claims was correlated with low levels of knowledge about them.

Based on the respondents’ answers, it cannot be concluded that the presence of the claims meant that the product was seen as less caloric. It seems, therefore, that consumers’ awareness of the processes of maintaining and achieving a healthy body weight has increased significantly. However, it is important that participants reported a relatively high level of knowledge of healthy eating in this study.

Another conclusion is that greater interest in healthy eating does not translate into the ability to correctly interpret statements. The respondents had severe problems in indicating what specific and actually existing health and nutrition claims mean. Therefore, it can be concluded that educating consumers on healthy eating does not increase their ability to use claims and solutions are needed to help raise public awareness of the legal aspects of food labeling.

Limitations and future research

Only Polish food consumers took part in the study, most of whom were healthy women with higher education and declaring a good financial situation. The majority of respondents declared a high level of interest in healthy eating, as well as rating the quality of their diet as good or average.

Therefore, the results may have been significantly different if the survey had been conducted on respondents with other individual characteristics.

Moreover, it also unclear how the results of this study translate into food purchases in real-world shop conditions. There is a need for research involving larger and more diverse groups of consumers that reflect the real circumstances of food shopping to a greater extent.

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