Quality Labels in the Food Sector: What do Consumers Want to Know and where are they Looking for Information?

Abstract

This study analyzes consumers’ information needs concerning quality labels in the food sector. We analyzed that by using one of the most well-known quality labels for food products in Austria as our research object (the quality label of the organization AgrarMarkt Austria, the so-called AMA Seal). Apparently, there is a lack of consumer-oriented information. Up to now, the type of information consumers of AMA sealed products demand is more or less unknown. Therefore, the objectives of this study were (1) to identify consumers’ actual use of information and (2) their information needs about quality labels to provide needs-based consumer information.

Keywords

• quality label
• seal
• information needs
• consumer survey
• cluster analysis