Consumer awareness of dietary issues

In the past conflicting messages about food and nutrition in the popular media have confused the general public. To be able to evaluate the information that has been presented calls for some training in nutrition, but the average man and woman in the street has not had this advantage. It is easy to understand how they have become confused. The National Advisory Committee on Nutrition Education set out to provide ‘clear and simple messages … and unambiguous advice that could be put into practice by the public’ to help those engaged in nutrition education. In order to implement the NACNE guidelines, it is helpful to know more about the nutritional beliefs of the general public. Judith Woodward, BSc, of the School of Science and Society, University of Bradford, has been investigating the extent of confusion and misconception among ordinary consumers who have no special access to definitive nutritional information. Here, she presents some of her findings on