Shoppers confused by food claims such as "low fat" and "high fibre"

Shoppers are confused by food claims such as "low fat" and "high fibre" because they do not know what to compare them with, a survey conducted by NOP for the British Heart Foundation, found.

More than half of people questioned thought that a low-fat sausage had less fat than an ordinary yogurt, although it actually has 80 times more. The foundation says nutritional tables on the back of food packaging are ignored in 99 per cent of purchasing decisions. Of those who did consult them, 20 per cent said the print was too small, 40 per cent that they were too confusing and 40 per cent that they did not have time to interpret them.