TY - JOUR

T1 - Consumer preferences for low-salt foods

T2 - A Danish case study based on a comprehensive supermarket intervention

AU - Denver, Sigrid

AU - Christensen, Tove

AU - Nordström, Jonas

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Objective: The objective is to analyze Danish consumers' attitudes to buying food with reduced salt content. Design: The study is based on a comprehensive store intervention that included 114 stores belonging to the same supermarket chain. Three different salt claims were tested for eight weeks on six test products within the categories bread, cornflakes and frozen pizzas. Scanner data were supplemented with 134 brief interviews with consumers in nine selected stores. Setting: Stores spread across Denmark. Participants: Consumers who buy food in the stores. Results: Statistical regression analyses of the scanner data indicated that none of the three claims significantly affected demand for any of the test products. The interviews confirmed that many consumers were more focused on other elements of the official dietary advice than reduced salt consumption, such as eating plenty of vegetables, choosing products with whole grains and reducing their intake of sugar and fat. Conclusions: Overall, both the scanner data and the interviews pointed in the same direction, toward the conclusion that salt content is often a secondary factor when Danish consumers make dietary choices.

AB - Objective: The objective is to analyze Danish consumers' attitudes to buying food with reduced salt content. Design: The study is based on a comprehensive store intervention that included 114 stores belonging to the same supermarket chain. Three different salt claims were tested for eight weeks on six test products within the categories bread, cornflakes and frozen pizzas. Scanner data were supplemented with 134 brief interviews with consumers in nine selected stores. Setting: Stores spread across Denmark. Participants: Consumers who buy food in the stores. Results: Statistical regression analyses of the scanner data indicated that none of the three claims significantly affected demand for any of the test products. The interviews confirmed that many consumers were more focused on other elements of the official dietary advice than reduced salt consumption, such as eating plenty of vegetables, choosing products with whole grains and reducing their intake of sugar and fat. Conclusions: Overall, both the scanner data and the interviews pointed in the same direction, toward the conclusion that salt content is often a secondary factor when Danish consumers make dietary choices.

KW - Consumer preferences

KW - Food claims

KW - Health promotion

KW - Low-salt foods

KW - Supermarket intervention

U2 - 10.1017/S1368980021002056

DO - 10.1017/S1368980021002056

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 33977893

AN - SCOPUS:85106905568

VL - 24

SP - 3956

EP - 3965

JO - Public Health Nutrition

JF - Public Health Nutrition

SN - 1368-9800

IS - 12

ER -