Urban Consumer Behaviors in Kochi, India: Food Choice Motivations, Food Label Literacy, and Nutrition Panel Use

As consumer preferences shift, a nutritional revolution marked by increased consumption of energy-dense processed foods is driving a rise in chronic, noncommunicable diseases. Factors influencing food purchasing behaviors were assessed among the urban population of Kochi, India. A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 680 participants aged 18-60 years. Health benefits, convenience, and sensory appeal were found to be the most significant factors considered while purchasing packaged food. Participants who were younger (p = 0.002), female (p = 0.011), and/or had at least one reported comorbidity (p = 0.010) were significantly more concerned with the food's sensory appeal, while participants from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were significantly more likely to consider price (p = 0.007). Furthermore, consumers who placed importance on the natural content and health-promoting aspects of food were significantly more likely to have food label literacy (p < 0.05) and/or use nutrition panels (p < 0.05). Participants with higher food label literacy were more likely to use nutrition panels (p = 0.017, adjusted R ²: 0.017). These findings underscore the importance of tailoring public health interventions to demographic-specific motivations. Community-based educational interventions shown to improve food label literacy and utilization may help promote individual consideration of natural and health-promoting aspects of food products while shopping, which is associated with healthier food consumption patterns.