The case of palm oil: an analysis of nutrition labelling, regulations and development in the food industry

In recent times, in Italy, few food issues have reached the level of popularity as the palm oil did, in fact, it was doubtless the most discussed and well-known case and it was the one that most polarized the population towards a single predominant position, namely the negative attitude towards this tropical ingredient. This thesis has several objectives; firstly, we will understand if and which type of consumers pay attention to nutrition labelling. In the first chapter, we will focus the attention on the use of nutrition labelling by the consumers because nutritional content in food products is considered to be a crucial attribute especially regarding palm oil. The nutritional information on food labels of food products is one means of informing consumers about the composition of food items and assists them in selecting foods in accordance with dietary recommendations. In this study, an extensive analysis of peer reviewed articles documenting the guidelines pertaining to nutrition information as well factors associated with determinants of nutrition label use are discussed. Moreover, we will provide a background and understanding of the regulatory environment regarding palm oil and nutrition labelling (Regulation 1169/2011). In addition, during the years, there have been many initiatives against it and these are the reasons why consumers perceive palm oil-free products as healthier or eco-friendly. Another important goal of this thesis is to understand how and if consumer pressure on companies has led many businesses in Italy to change the recipes of their products in order to exclude palm oil from production processes or if producers exposed themselves to explicitly defend their choices. This argument will be discussed in the third chapter.