Low-income consumers' perceptions of ultra-processed foods

Abstract

In recent years there has been a rapid surge of consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in many developed countries. UPFs are characterized by high levels of fat, salt and sugar, which are in opposition to the World Health Organization's guidelines, advocating for the limitation of foods with high concentrations of these nutrients. To implement effective public policy interventions, it is important to understand the perception of UPFs among final consumers. The present study contributes to current knowledge providing quantitative evidence on the processing, healthiness, and tastiness perceptions of UPFs among low-income Italian consumers. A sample of 810 consumers were surveyed using an online questionnaire including a food shopping task with minimally processed foods and UPFs. Findings reveal an overall adequate awareness of the amount of processing needed to create certain food products. Additionally, low-income consumers did not perceive the investigated UPFs as extremely distant from their actual processing and healthiness classifications. Nevertheless, respondents generally perceived seemingly more processed foods as being less healthy. Results do not underline the need for policymakers to prioritize interventions aimed at fostering an increase of knowledge of UPFs among this socioeconomically disadvantaged group.