Status of utilization of nutrition information on processed meat products in making purchasing decisions among consumers in Nakuru town, Kenya

There has been an increased effort globally to sensitize consumers to read and utilize nutrition information on processed foods in order to reduce cases of diet related diseases. Manufacturers are required to provide adequate and easy to read nutrition information on the label of their products. High consumption of processed meat products has been associated with non-communicable diseases such as cancer, obesity and cardiovascular diseases among others. The economic effects of NCDs are more severe in developing countries. They reduce labor force participation by 61% in Kenya. Dietary factors contribute to approximately 30% of cancer cases globally. Effective utilization of nutrition information can positively influence consumer diet. There is limited literature in Sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya and particularly Nakuru County on the utilization of nutrition information by consumers when purchasing processed meat products. The purpose of this study was to determine the status of utilization of nutrition information in purchasing decisions of processed meat products in supermarkets in Nakuru town. A cross-sectional analytical study design with mixed methods qualitative and quantitative techniques was adopted in data collection, analysis and presentation. A researcher-administered questionnaire, key informant interview guide and observation checklist were used to elicit information from participants. Simple random sampling was conducted to select the supermarkets while consecutive sampling was used to select 422 participants shopping in supermarkets in Nakuru town where shoppers who purchased processed meat during data collection period were selected to participate. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 22. Statistical significance was set at p< 0.05. The findings of this study revealed that majority (66.1%) of processed meat products purchasers were female and young adults aged between 29-39 years (48.6%), with an average income of between Kshs 10,00120,000 (24.6%). On the other hand, majority of the participants (92.6%) had education above secondary level. Only one of the brands in the market under study provided nutrition information on the label of its products. Most of the participants (66.8%) read nutrition information on the labels of processed meat products. Cholesterol (26.1%), sodium (17.8%) and fats (15.4%) were the nutrient of most interest. Sausages were the most (41.1%) frequently purchased and majority (40.5%) consumed processed meat products once a week. More than a half (58.2%) of consumers experienced challenges when reading nutrition information on the label of processed meat products. Technical terms used on nutrition information of processed meat products label was identified as the most (72.6%) challenging for consumers. Consumers aged between 29-39 years were two times more likely to utilize nutrition information on processed meat products compared to consumers aged between 18-28 years (OR: 1.95; CI: 0.83-1.51; P=0.038). There were no differences between the other age groups in the utilization of nutrition information on processed meat products. Female consumers were 66.1% more likely to use nutrition information on processed meat products compared to males (OR: 6.61; CI: 1.26-5.69; P=0.010). Religion (OR: 0.04; CI: 0.03-0.14; P=1.00) and occupation were not associated with the utilization of nutrition information on processed meat. Based on these findings, it is recommended that KEBS, Ministry of health and nutritionists should ensure that the information on processed meat products are simplified and are easy to be read by consumers. The government of Kenya should also set policies and make nutrition labeling mandatory on all processed foods to protect consumers and improve access to health related information.